Champagne Supernova
by TheEndsongAbyssXV
Summary: They say it takes a village to raise a kid, but this isn't a village, or any old kid. It's Whitebeard's daughter, and the crew who has to raise her from infancy to her teens and all the years in between. Follow Soliel in her many adventures through life and love. Eventual Marco/OC
1. Chapter 1

When they had met, he'd been drinking a cup of Isojiman sake, and she had been sipping a steaming cup of some sort of black tea; Darjeeling, perhaps, he couldn't tell without smelling or tasting it himself.

Their eyes had met across the mezzanine of the café, and then she smiled.

Their conversations had taken them back to her place in the piazza, where they drank some more and exchanged stories of their jobs. She was a baker, he was a pirate.

Eventually the consumption of more alcohol had numbed her inhibitions and destroyed his ability to say no, which resulted in a night of raw, unadulterated passion.

But he stayed, and they grew closer until his profession called him away and then he was gone, but she always smiled fondly over their time together.

It was nearly a year before they communicated again, a single letter dropped by a carrier eagle, explaining her illness and potential death. She grew weaker each day and would not survive the coming winter. Among other matters, the letter also mentioned their three-month-old daughter, Soliel.

For the first time in his life, Edward Newgate was shocked; especially when the infant was brought to him the very same evening by a ferryman.

"Um, sir?'

"Boss…"

"Pops, what do we do?"

As his crewmembers bombarded him with questions, Edward "Whitebeard" Newgate examined the sleeping infant in his arms. She had copper-colored hair in soft downy ringlets, with plump cheeks and a button nose. She cooed in her sleep, revealing small dimples.

A few people actually "awww"-ed at the sight, and then did a lot of scowling, as though to re-establish their masculinity. Whitebeard chuckled, and then made a noise in his throat as the baby opened her eyes. They were a clear, dusky yellow, like white wine or champagne, fringed with thick lashes. She blinked up at her father, and made another noise.

"Given its meaning, I think Soliel is a perfect name." the man smirked as the baby gurgled in his arms some more.

"Whaddya think we should do wit 'er, pops?"

Whitebeard considered the infant, who looked up at him. "She stays with us." He chuckled. "Meet your new sister, boys."


	2. Chapter 2

By the next morning, Whitebeard and his crew were both amused and exhausted. Soliel was a relatively easy-going baby, except when she wasn't fed fast enough. Her appetite was voracious for an infant and when she didn't get it when she wanted it, she scremed like a rabid banshee. Namur and Vista were both trying (in vain) to calm the squalling child, and "Diamond" Jozu was close to hysterics himself, children made him uneasy and nervous. Nothing was working! Haruta, the only other female member of the crew, was scolding the others for furthur upsetting Soliel, who screamed louder as Izo made faces at her.

"And you can't just hand her off when it gets difficult!" she yelled, taking the baby and rocking her. "Pops'll get you if she's unhappy."

The Whitebeard crew currently had nine members, ten if you counted Soleil; Haruta, Izo, Namur, Vista, Fossa, Curiel, Rakuyo, Atmos and was the youngest at sixteen (Soliel didn't count as she wasn't an actual crewmember yet), while Fossa was the second oldest at thirty-seven. Whitebeard was in his early forties, but no one dared asked his actual age for fear of death.

Said man had gone off to the village port they'd docked at in search of child-rearing supplies, and the very moment he'd left, Soleil burst into tears, her cheeks reddening and her mouth opening wide.

"Shit, what do we do?!" cried Izo. He murmured softly to the baby, and everyone passed her off to another person but no one was able to get her to stop crying. Finally, Haruta went off in search of the letter from the baby's mother, hoping it held some sort of clue as to how to calm Soliel.

Whitebeard's personal quarters were open to all, so long as they had his permission, but Haruta was pretty sure that he wouldn't mind her being in there if it was to help his daughter. She opened the door and flicked on the nearest lamp. _Oh dear Lord, he'd messier than Izo!_

There were maps, medical supplies, and various other crap cluttering the room, and haruta had to ninjafy herself to safely make it over to his desk, where she saw the letter in plain sight. She snatched it up, opening it and scanning the words inside. The cursive writing made her head hurt, but she read it through twice anyways.

My Dearest Edward,

I hope this letter finds you well. I now it has been a while since we've spoken, but I wish to inform you of my current situation. I am dying, an incurable illness that is taking over the Southern islands, and I'm afraid I will soon succumb to the fevers and the ulcers are growing more painful every hour.

I have missed you terribly, and find it imperitive that you know about the end game of our relationship; you have a daughter, Soliel (so lay). She has your nose and personality, which i find very amusing, since she is only three-months old.

In any case, I wish for you to take her, in the event of my death. I am sorry to push this on you, but she can't be with anyone else, because there is no one else. Along with this letter, I have enclosed a few trinkets I wish for her to have on her thirteenth, sixteenth, and eighteenth birthdays, and there are two dendenmushi for her, the lavender has a collection of lullabies and the other is a video transponder from me telling her about us, and answering potential questions. I hope you'll consider raising her, you'd be a great father.

With great affection, yours truly,

Azaela.

Haruta picked up the velvet pouch under the letter and spilled its contents into her palm. She immediately snatched up the lavender dendenmushi and ran up to the deck, where Soleil's cries grew louder, more pitifu. Beaming, she walked over to where "Diamond" Jozu now held the baby, who was trying very hard to extricate herself. Tears ran down her face, and she squirmed violently. Whitebeard had returned and was trying to talk the child down, when haruta turned on the small device and held it close to Soliel.

There was a soft crackling, a few scrating sounds, and then a woman's voice, high, clear and beautiful, came from the object, sining of the ocean waves, and spring breezes, autumn leaves and butterflies flying. The notes rose and fell with the songs, and Soliel stopped crying halfway through, her sobs dying down to a whimper. As the last notes echoed into silence, Fossa laughed.

"That's a mighty fine voice yer ma's got, kid." he laughed again, patting Soleil's head, who had curled up against her father's chest and fallen asleep.

(One month later)

Soleil was a good little girl, and rarely cried, thanks to the dendenmushi she had from her mother. and she wasn't all that demanding anymore. She currently lay on a thick blanket with a bottle in her mouth, nursing quietly as her sushine colored eyes followed Izo and Fossa around. Haruta was talking to Kingdew about Gol D. Roger, and Whitebeard was gazing out of a window. They were heading back to the Grand Line, and was concerned. Soliel was so small, she'd constantly be in danger, especially if the government found out about her existence. Almost everyone knew about his "children", the various people he'd "adopted" into his crew over the years. but now that he had an actual legit child, things would be much more complicated.

"I wonder who she'll take after the most as she grows up?" Izo mused, looking at the baby.

"Her mother, as far as looks go, but her personality will probably be like mine." Whitebeard laughed, a great booming laugh that shook the very walls. "Either way, she'll be a hell raiser, I'll make sure of it."

Fossa smirked, "'specially if she ever eats a Devil Fruit."

Whitebeard frowned severely. He looked at his daughter, who was sucking on the empty bottle in annoyance. With an angry sqeal, she tossed the object to the floor, where it clanked loudly.

"She will never get her hands on one, so long as I live. She'd be in even more danger than she already is!"

With that statement, eveyone grew quiet as the realization of the severeity of their situation clicked. As long as they had Soleil, they too were in more danger because they were hiding her. The baby had to be a total secret until she grew up, and even then her parentage had to be kept quiet. If word got out...

With a sigh, Whitebeard leaned down and picked up his daughter, holding her in his large hand. She fit perfectly, and as she settled against his skin, he smiled.

Maybe parenthood wouldn't be so bad after all...


	3. Chapter 3

Izo and Fossa were playing with little Soliel while Kingdew, Whitebeard and the others discussed what they should do next. The ocean was peaceful for the time being, and the crew was enjoying the laziness while they could, because as they knew firsthand, anything could happen in the next few seconds.

Izo frowned as he picked up Soliel, and he looked at her clothes. The cuffs of her sleeves were biting into her wrists, and her pants were doing the same with her ankles. She didn't seem to care, but Izo knew that they would start to chafe and soon hurt her.

"Pops," he called out to the older man and Whitebeard looked over. "Soliel's clothes are getting rather small and tight."

Haruta nodded. "I noticed that last week." She pointed out the cuffs to Whitebeard who frowned. His daughter didn't seem uncomfortable, but now that they were examining her, she got fussy, her little fists swinging as her father and Izo picked at her clothes. A cry came out of her and Whitebeard chuckled, taking her shirt off and then her pants, leaving her only in a diaper, which Soliel found amusing. The child giggled and ran off screaming in delight.

"I suppose we should stop and get her some new clothes," the man said finally, watching as the toddler squealed while Fossa and the others played chase with her.

Haruta smiled widely, "You know Pops," she produced a map from her back pocket, being the ships' navigator. "There's a shopping district not too far from us, sir." She grinned.

Whitebeard took the map and looked it over for a few minutes. Sky Harbor was fairly new, just a year or two old, and it was easily one of the most famous islands in the world, having over a few hundred thousand shops, none of which sold the same thing twice. It was quickly becoming one of the most crowded places as well, due to the large amount of pirates who flocked to the island for supplies. Sure, you could find weapons and medicine and clothes in towns and cities, but if there was a certain antidote you needed, or a custom made blade, then you went to Sky Harbor.

Whitebeard nodded finally. "Very well, we'll set out in the morning."

…

The sun had set early, and a storm was brewing, dark thunderclouds overtaking the normally blue-black sky overhead. The stars were gone, and the clouds lit up every now and then. Raindrops had started to fall, fat and fast, pelting the ship viciously. The waves rocked the ship gently at first, but as the storm picked up speed, it dipped harder, and suddenly thunder crashed, a great BOOM! that deafened anyone who heard it.

This, unfortunately, was Soliel.

The 22-month-old opened her eyes, lip curling pitifully as the storm assaulted her eardrums. She whimpered, snuggling against her blanket, and as the second clash hit, she screamed.

"_Dadaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!_" she crawled out of her bed and ran across the room to where Whitebeard was sleeping. The man was deaf to the storm, but when Soliel put her little hands on him and patted his chest, he twitched. She started to cry in earnest now, and after a few seconds, the man came fully awake. He saw lightning flash outside and it didn't take long for him to figure out why the baby was so upset.

"What is it, little one?" he murmured as she climbed up next to him.

"Daddy-" Her lips trembled. "Noise."

He nodded and looked into her eyes, the clear golden color fogged by a thick sheen of unshed tears.

Soliel was actually shaking, and she screamed when thunder rumbled in the distance. She held her blanket over her face, and Whitebeard smirked, scooping the small child up and against his side where, while listening to the strong bass of her father's heartbeat, she fell asleep.

…..

By the time everyone woke up the next day, the sky was a clear, brilliant blue, flooded with puffy white clouds. Birds chirped overhead and a warm, smooth breeze slid through the air, caressing everything it touched.

Izo had a few kimonos spread out over the deck and was trying to decide which one to wear. He pursed his lips, royal purple today, and tapped his foot impatiently. He was stuck between the pale pink and crimson one, and the dark green with silver koi on it.

Soliel was sitting in her father's lap, eating a cracker, and Haruta was consulting a large map. She was mumbling to herself while Fossa asked her questions about their destination.

"You'll find out when we get there," she bit out. The maps were making her mad, it was 62 miles to Sky Harbor, but the direction they had to go would take them right through a Marine based village.

Whitebeard seemed unconcerned. "If we do run into them, we can always evade." He said _evade_ like _attack_, and his smirk was just a little evil.

Soliel smiled and cooed at them all. "Go." She said, looking at Whitebeard.

The man laughed and looked at Haurta. "You heard her; go!"

Off they went.


	4. Chapter 4

It took nearly three full days to get to Sky Harbor. The storm that hit turned into a category three hurricane, and destroyed a few (hopefully) uninhabited island chains, and set off violent mudslides, flooding, and two volcanic eruptions. By the previous night the storms dissipated, leaving the sky a crystal clear blue, with thick white clouds floating through it. Gulls squawked to one another at they fluttered around, and (much to Soliel's joy), the dolphins and other sea creatures were behaving rather well.

"Okay, pops, we're about a half hour journey away." Haruta walked across the deck of the Moby Dick, eyes roaming over a map. She layed it out on the floor and mumbled to herself about which direction they were going.

Whitebeard sat against the rails, watching as Blenheim and Brew, one of his allies, polished a large trident-like spear. It was made of tarnished silver, with obsidian and jade inlay, and topped with crystal points. The thing was about four feet in length, and two inches thick at the hilt. He watched as Soliel (who had been chasing a rather large mouse with a basket) toddled over, staring at the weapon in awe. Before she could grab it, he grabbed her, lifting her up with one hand. She was donning only a pair of super baggy pants (Haruta had tied and pinned them to fit the 2-year-old), and a ragged pink shirt that she kept trying to remove.

"You really do need new clothes." he mused. "You're getting too big." Soliel was skinny, as normal toddlers were, but she was tall for her age. Her mother had been nearly six feet, and while he was almost nine feet, it was no surprise the little girl's genes would up her growth speed a little bit.

Soliel turned to eyes to her father, "Too big?" Whitebeard nodded and Soliel pointed to her shirt. "New clothes?"

"Absolutely, little one. We'll get them in larger sizes, so you'll grow into them."

"BIG!" she squealed, kicking her feet. She looked out at the ocean, grinning, screaming with joy at the colorful birds and dolphins. She seemed rather fond of the mammals, and whenever one was visible in the water, she'd stare at it with an unnatural focus for one her age.

Whitebeard chuckled. _My daughter will be a genius one day._

...

Sky Harbor was a fantasy land; the buildings made of shimmering crystal or glass, and multicolored stone. There was a small hut near the place where various ships had docked and Izo positively melted as his eyes landed on the bridge connecting the docks to the island. The bridge was fashioned out of a iridescent material that glowed with the colors of the rainbow, and lit up when stepped on. It was also the world mecca of shops. The island was 309 square miles across and had a population of nearly 100,000; and that was without all the tourists. There were thousands of different shops, and one shop never sold the same thing as another. Each store had its own burden to give, and Haruta wanted to see it all.

She picked up Soliel, who was equally amazed at the throngs of people who walked about. The Whitebeard crew dispersed, each member going off to find whatever they felt they needed to buy, while Izo and Haruta were on babysitting duty.

This did not please Soliel. As most female children were, she was programmed to be a daddy's girl, and when Whitebeard started walking away, she burst into tears,, hollering "daddy!" at the top of her lungs. Izo hushed her, saying that they were going to buy her clothes, and maybe a new toy. This piqued the child's interest and she quieted, watching with teary eyes as her father walked away into the crowd.

...

It was hot outside, the sun beating down on the backs of shoppers as they milled through shops. The air wqas dry, so it wasn't too miserable since there was little to no humidity. But regardless of the weather, Soleil was grouchy. Her little cheeks were pink, flushed from walking. She held Izo's hand, and whined a little bit; louder when the man didn't respond.

"What's the matter, honey?" he scooped her up into hsi arms with a smile. "What do you want?"

"'m hungry." she said, looking around. The air smelled great, a mix of all the different restaraunts and cafe's that dotted the island. Haruta laughed, she was hungry too. They both agreed to grab a bite to eat and continue shopping. Soliel was a little picky, because she didn't like bland children food too much. So when she spotted a Mediterranean stall on the side of one of the cobblestone paths, she cried out for it.

Sometime later, happily munching on grape leaves stuffed with mozzarella and cherry tomatoes, and with a little bag of sea salt and black pepper crackers for Soliel, they set off towards the clothing district.

...

Whiteabeard people watched for a while, standing off to the side of a walkway and simply gazing at whoever caught his eye. The person in particular was a young boy, maybe five or six years of age. He had golden blond hair and eyes a violent shade of purple; he was scrawny, but weren't most little boys like that? The kid was staring at a fruit vendor some feet away from where Whitebeard was standing, and the older man saw the boy snatch up a melon, a bag of Achachairu fruits, and dash away.

Whitebeard followed the boy, amused.

...

"Ohmygod, Haruta, look!" Izo held up a pair of pants, 3T, adorned with silvery swirls on the hem and a dolphin on the back pocket. Soliel would be five years old before she could wear this, but with as tall as she was, she'd grow into to it before then. Haruta had already purchased a hooded slicker for the girl, and Soliel was currently rubbing a pair of acid green mittens against her face. She held them up for Izo to see.

"Soft." she said, rubbing them on his hand with a smile. Izo agreed with her and asked if she wanted them. "No. Want shoes."

Haruta blinked. They hand't thought of that. Soliel usually ran around barefoot, but as she got older, shoes would be required. She turned to izo, who was holding up an aqua colored child's kimono to Soliel, who stared at it with excitement. It was a light blue with silver koi on the bottom.

"I'm buying this for her, and she will wear it and love it."

Soliel squealed suddenly and took off, vanishing into the crowded plaza. Haruta took off after her, screaming her name and Izo yelled "stop, Soliel!" over and over again, but to no avail, the girl was gone.

Oh shit. They'd lost Soliel.


	5. Chapter 5

_Where did that little brat run off to?_ Whitebeard walked around a corner, and then another, searching for the blond thief. The kid was fast, and he was gone in an instant once he realized the bigger man was following him, darting around the crowd and dipping into one of the lower valley shopping areas. Bored of his cat-and-mouse game, Whitebeard wandered towards what appeared to be a pub of some sort. It was dark and musty inside, but there were lots of people drinking and chatting, some bartering wares they'd purchased or stolen, and more then one argument was going on.

Whitebeard ordered a flask of sake and sat in the empty table in the far right corner.

...

Izo was panicking, and Haruta wasn't sure whether to be amused or worried for the man. He had what she liked to call "anuerysm face", where his eyes narrowed and twitched, and his mouth went slack. He was flushed, sweating, mumbling to himself in a hurried manner, turning this way and that in search of Soliel. The little girl seemed excited when she'd taken off, and Izo was more worried for her safety than the consequences of losing Whitebeard's daughter.

"She's so cute, some creep probably walked off with her!" he groaned, and Haruta felt more pity for him than for Soliel. "Pop is going to murder me!"

Haruta ran a hand through her auburn hair, eyes scanning the thick crowd. They had to be careful, no one knew that there was a child born to Whitebeard, let alone in the crew, and if a good samaritan did happen to find the little girl, she'd no doubt tell them her her father was. She knew he was called Whitebeard, so if someone asked where or who her parents were, she'd likely respondw tih his pirate name, and the proverbial shit would hit the fan.

"We'll keep looking, she'd not too fast, so she probably is somewhere close. Let's split up-no, relax, we'll find her faster." Izo seemed stricken at the thought of separating, but he willed himself to calm and the two took off, haruta going straight ahead and Izo going left.

...

Rakuyo and Atmos were walking through the weapon stalls of the seaside forge district, in hopes of selling the spear that Brew and Blenheim comandeered from a recent takedown of some would-be killers of Whitebeard. Only a few crews knew of the older man's medical complication, and one gang of pirates decided to attack him hen he was particularly ill. This however, failed miserably. Whitebeard had been in a foul mood and the offending pirate crew was literally shattered. Whitebeard busted them apart with his powers, and then went back to sleep. Oddly, Soliel never seemed to get sick, which was good since she was so young, but she did cry a good deal when flustered.

...

Soliel was lost, and even though she was just barely two years old, she knew it. Haruta and izo were gone, and she had no idea where her daddy was. She was scared, getting knocked around by the crowd, and the sky had started to darken a bit. She had run off after the purple cart. She saw something in it that she wanted; a hat. She had hoped that her caretakers would follow, but now they were nowhere to be seen.

"Izo? Hawuta?" she looked around, confused when neither person responded. Her little heart beat faster as fear, an emotion most children were not famiiliar with, sunk in. She whimpered loudly and toddled away, going deeper into the hordes of shoppers. "Daddy..." tears filled her champagne colored eyes and a small, minute sob escaped her mouth. "_Daddy!_"

...

The sun had finally set, stars shimmering like diamonds in the inky sky. There was a slight breeze in the air, but it felt nice. Namur sighed deeply and stared out the ocean from where he stood in the town square. The centerpiece of Sky Harbor was the magnificent, eighty-five foot amethyst and crystal fountain. There were seven tiers, each larger than the last, made up of a type of gemstone known as 'mystic fire quartz'. Water sprayed from the top and flowed down the center into a large crystalized basin filled with smooth riverstones and coins.

The shark-man watched as children threw coins into the water, making wishes and giggling madly. Adults did the same every now and then, but most of the money came from the younger generations.

...

Fossa was the one who found her first.

The man was happily lighting a cigar when he heard crying, and he recognized it immediately as Soliel's. The girl was crying out for her father, and the man jogged around, damn nearly shoving people out of his way to find the child. He called out, hoping she'd stop wandering around and seek him out, but the crying dimmed over the chatter of people until suddenly-

"SOLIEL! THANK HEAVENS I'VE FOUND YOU!" Izo charged at the small copper-haired child and scooped her into his arms, hugging her hard enough to make her scream. She clearly wanted nothing more than her father, and though it would potentially cause a problem later, Izo and Fossa agreed to search for their captain.

...

The sake bottle was half empty (or full, whatever). Edward newgate was not a man of hardcore sentiment, but sitting in the dingy bar reminded him of Azalea, Soliel's mother. The raven-haired beauty had been an on-again-off-again fling for nearly twelve years, and he missed her terribly. He knew that eventually Soliel would question her materal heritage, and he thought of ways to explain what kind of person her mother had been.

Kind. That was the general sum. Never thinking of herself, only others. She also, like nearly all females, had a temper. when faced with something she didn't agree with, Azalea would protest against it with everything she had. she was passionate about her likes and dislikes, and Whitebeard honestly hoped that Soliel adopted some of her mother's traits.

With a sigh he drained his cup, paid his tab, and walked out into the night.

...

Soliel's crying had died down, and she curled against Fossa, her eyes closing with exhaustion. They had gathered the rest of the crew, making the choice that it would be better to stay together while on the island. Haruta found it amusing that some of the strongest pirates could be totally ruled over by a small child. Soliel was nodding off, but straining hard to stay awake. She was hell bent on seeing her father, and she scrunched her little face as though trying really hard at remaining awake.

Kingdew chuckled, "I _told_ you he'd be at a bar." he said to Namur, who shrugged off the comment.

Haruta ran over to Whitebeard, eager to show the man what she and Izo had purchased for Soliel, whose eyes popped open after the man laughed his great booming laugh.

"Daaaaaaaddddddyyyyy!" she screamed, flailing her arms in an attempt to extricate herself from Fossa's hold. The man released her and she reached for Whitebeard who instantly picked her up and cuddled her. He frowned when he saw her bloodshot eyes and tear stained face, but he rocked her gently and kissed her downy curls, not giving a single fuck that people could see.


	6. Chapter 6

Soliel was asleep in her father's arms, but Izo played it off like she was his daughter, just in case someone asked. no one could know about Whitebeard having a blood daughter, it would cause problems, and then the government would try to take her away. The shoppers had thinned, and they were now free to spread out a bit more and shop at their leisure now that more than half of the tourists were gone for the night. Haruta and Izo went clothes shopping, Kingdew went off in search of armor and weapon supplies, Blenheim went to the medical district to but more medicnes and equipment, while Fossa and Brew stayed with their captain.

"Pops," Fossa's voice was subdued as he watched Soliel sleep, her little chest rising and falling with her breathing. He had her hand scrunched in Whitebeard's shirt, the others tucked against her chest. "I was just wondering, when she's older, would you allow her to join the crew, or start her own?"

Whitebeard thought about it. He wanted her with him at all times, especially when she got older; being older meant life got harder, more dangerous, and then there was the horror that all fathers face when raising a girl: boys. If she went off on her own path of piracy, there was no doubt in his mind that she'd meet some guy and then-_no_. He wasn't going to think about that. Not now, not ever. The very idea of his little girl ever ending up with a guy made him murderous. No, she'd join a convent and adopt a life of celibacy before he allowed her to go off on her own.

"She'll be in our crew of course." With no interation with men of any kind other than the ones she grew up knowing.

He looked down at his sleeping toddler and smirked, remembering the first time she ever spoke.

...

_Fossa was laughing, watching as Izo danced around the deck with his fan, his kimono swirling around his body. The man was girly it was hard to believe his was a man. Haruta was watching with vague envy, as if wishing she was as skilled a dancer as the other pirate, and Blenheim seemed mildy disturbed, especially after Izo began singing. Whitebeard was busy watching Namur, Atmos and Vista crowd around Soliel. The 10-month-old was wiggling around on the thick blanket she lay on, and she was getting fussy. _

_"She's not hungry, she ate less than 15 minutes ago." Atmos said with a frown. _

_"She can't be tired, she's too energetic." Namur observed, watching as the baby writhed, her whines getting angrier. _

_Vista stared at the infant for a moment before horror dawned on his face. "When was the last time she got changed?" _

_All three men blanched and Whitebeard chuckled. He knew that was what she was upset about; her diaper was dirty. He watched as the three men scrambled as Soliel screamed, her cheeks reddening and her arms flailing out. Haruta and Izo (who fell to Soleil's every cry) rushed over, cooing and asking what was wrong with her. _

_Izo smiled, "Ew," he laughed "You need a new diaper?" Soliel looked up at the man with her large eyes, button mouth opening and closing like a fish. She babbled loudly and kicked her feet, archign away from Izo. Whitebeard laughed as his crew struggled to change the baby, and he laughed even harder at the resounding "ew!" from all of them a few seconds later. Haruta actually turned away and made retching noises, while Blenheim walked off and actually vomited over the edge of the ship. _

_"Ew!" _

_Everyone stopped and looked at Soliel, who was squirming violently and giggling as Izo cleaned her up. "EW!" she screamed. "EWEWEWEWEWEWEW!" _

_Whitebeard nearly coughed up a lung he laughed so hard, which naturally made his daughter giggle more and repeat the word. _

_..._

Whitebeard gazed at his daughter, and he felt a twinge of worry for the girl. She'd be raised in an dangerous era, and would constantly be in danger, he was one of thr strongest men on Earth and was constantly threatened with death, as were his crew. He couldn't risk something hurting Soliel and he suddenly wondered if keeping her was a bad idea.


	7. Chapter 7

Soliel was munching on an apple as the Whitebeard crew walked along the cobblestone path, eyeing various shops. There were still a lot of people shopping, though not nearly as many as during the day. It was late, but there were familes with kids walking about, older people, and the few groups of insane-shoppers, the kind who would more than likely deck someone over some trinket or article of clothing.

Fossa had purchsed another two cases of cigars, which now totalled five, Blenheim was flipping through a thick cookbook and murmuring to himself. Haruta and Izo were talking about the clothes they'd purchased, and what they'd bought for Soliel. Whitebeard and Brew were discussing the growth of weapon trafficking and Vista was examining the new saber he'd found. It was high-grade steel, and he'd managed to haggle it for a decent price.

As Soliel bit into her apple with a juicy crunch, she turned her head a small sliver of movement and she watched as a giant lizard ducked under a table in front of a fruit stand; it was a dull goldish brown and (Soliel squealed) a blue tongue. She turned around and walked towards the creature, eyes wide. Dimly she heard people call her and she turned to see her father and the others coming towards her.

"Bug!" she screamed, pointing to the table. "Blue! BLUE!"

Vista leaned on his haunches and looked at where Soliel was pointing. "It's not a bug, it's a lizard."

Soliel cocked her head. "Lizard?"

"Yeah, it's a big lizard too."

Soliel ran over to Whitebeard and giggled, "DADDYDADDYDADDY!" she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the table. "Vis'a lizard, Vis'a lizard!"

"Yes, I see, Vista lizard." when he got to the table he picked the thing up with one hand and watched as the thing darted away, Soliel screaming and running off after it. Izo and Namur followed the girl while the rest of the crew sat down to rest.

"You know," Izo huffed as he jogged after the curly-haired tot, "She's really quick for such a little thing."

Soliel ran as fast as her tiny legs would allow, but the lizard was slightly faster than she was, darting this way and that and the frustrated two-year-old howled with rage as the lizard ducked under some bushes and vanished from sight.

...

Violet eyes watched as the large man walked after the infant, who toddled away after a lizard. The man was scary, taller than a house, and about as wide. The little girl was heading in his direction, and the boy dipped farther back into the bushes where no one would see him. The lizard was gone and the baby pointed at the bushes, screaming.

"Want!" she ran over to her father and tugged at Whitebeard's pants, silently pleading for him to follow. The man obliged, and when they got close to the bush, he leaned down, searching where the little girl pointed. "Inside." she said. Whitebeard looked around, and making sure no one else was looking, he gently tore the bush from the Earth, unvieling the blue-tongued skink, and the small boy from earlier.

He chuckled, "Well, well, it's the thief."

The blond child glared up at the man. "I'm not a thief!" Soliel ignored both of them and tore after the lizard again, squealing with joy as it ran towards the plaza. Haruta and Namur followed after the girl so she wouldn't get lost again, while Vista and Izo kept an eye on the small child that Whitebeard was antagonizing.

"What's he doing?"

Vista shrugged, watching the spectacle with amusement. "I'm not sure, but my money is on the little one." Whitebeard was talking to the kid, and the boy was getting frustrated, which Whitebeard found to be funny, because he kept picking on the blond, teasing him, making fun of him for stealing.

"You can go to jail for stealing, you know." The boy glared up at him, eyes blazing with defiance.

"How else will I eat?" he asked. Whitebeard studied the boy. His clothes were tattered, but not too filthy, and his skin was covered in scratches and bruises. His hair was matted on one side with dried blood and dirt, and Whitebeard fekt a twinge of pity for the child. He lifted the boy up by the back of his shirt and brought him to eye level.

"How old are you, kid? What's your name?"

"Why should I tell you?"

By now, Soliel had returned and stood by her father's side, and was staring at the boy. He twisted in Whitebeard's grip, kicking out at the man. While the older man laughed at the pitiful attempts, Soliel lunged forward, grabbed the kid's leg, and clamped her sharp, tiny teeth against his skin. Whitebeard dropped the blond child and grabbed Soliel with one hand, hauling her back.

"Soliel, what did I tell you teeth are for?"

Soliel looked away with a sly smile and a messy attempt of rolling her eyes. She giggled and held her arms out to the man but he held her at arms length. She whined, thrashing in his hold and he set her down, where she latched onto his leg. "Eat." she mumbled into his pants.

"Right. Teeth are for eating, not biting." he looked at the other child with a smirk. "That was your fault though, son. You provoked her."

"I didn't do anything to her!"

"Not intentionally, but by attacking me, you made her mad, so she attacked you." he stared long and hard at the other child, taking in his shabby form. "I'm going to ask you again, boy, what's your name and how old are you?"

There was a few seconds' silence, and then, very quietly, he responded, "Marco. I'm five."


	8. Chapter 8

Back on the Moby Dick, Soliel was curcled up on the floor, clutching the lavender transponder snail that contained her mother's lullabies which were still emitting softly from the small device. The gentle lilt of Azalea's voice was muffled by the small girl's chest as she cradled the object closehumming brokenly, a few notes matching those from her mother. Whitebeard examined his daughter, thinking of what her life would be like as an adult, how she'd develope, how she'd act, what she'd look like. An image popped into his head of the child as an adult, tall, not like he, but roughly 5"7, built lean like her mother, narrow hips and small breasts. He smirked, hoping she took after her mother's body type so men would be deterred from eyeing Soliel.

He touched the soft curls on her head as he picked her up, smirking at the whiffle of content from the tiny tot. She burrowed into his chest, and opened her eyes,looking around blearily.

"Daddy...?"

"Hm?"

She rubbed her eyes and made that cute sleepy sound again, "Want Mama."

The man hesitated in his steps and looked into the clear sunshine stare of his daughter. Then, with a heavy sigh, he walked into the ship and towards the room they shared.

"I know, little one." he lay her on the bed, covering her with the tattered dolphin covered baby blanket that he'd got her when she arrived. More than anything in his whole life, he'd always wanted a family, and he was happy because he had one. "Children" he'd brought into his life when they had nowhere else to go, no one to love them, and now he had a real child to boot (not that he loved Soliel any more than his other sons and daughter, they all meant the world to him). As she closed her eyes and fell asleep, he took the dendenmushi and listened to his old flame's musical voice.

"I miss her too."

...

Tiny feet ran across the floor, and Soliel squealed as she stripped off her clothes and ran around, avoiding Vista and Izo, both of whom were on clothing duty for the child. Everyone took turns feeding, bathing, and pampering the girl, but today she did not want to get dressed. The copper haired 2-year-old was in the process of trying to untie her diaper (which Haruta had fastened with tape) when she tripped and slammed into the hard floor of the galley. There was a collective gasp from most of the crew and Whitebeard looked over as Soliel sat up and rubbed her nose.

The instant her lip curled, Vista let out a small "oh no" and covered his ears, prepared for the the blood appeared. It dripped out of Soliel's nose and onto her chest, which attracted her atttention instantly. As she looked at the red stuff, tears sprang into her eyes and her bottom lip trembled like it wanted to jump off the tip of her chin but was afraid of the drop. She rubbed her nose again and smeared blood across her cheek and lip, and the motion was quickly followed by a thin wail that had the potential to end up as a screamfest.

"Come here, Soliel." Whitebeard nodded for his daughter and she stood on shaky legs before walking to him, begging to be picked up. "That's enough, you're alright." he took the wet cloth that Namur handed him and wiped Soliel's face. She screamed and torqued away, nearly falling to the floor again and she hollered "no!" as her father moved to clean her face again.

Whitebeard's voice got hard. "Soliel Andromeda Newgate, you stop that right now." he cleared the blood off and smoothed her hair back. "I know it hurt but you can't throw a fit like that when we're trying to help you, do you understand?" The pissed off look in her eyes said yes, but she was only two and a quarter so he doubted it. She recognized the sterness in his voice and she settled down a bit, her crying dying to whimpers.

She twisted around and Whitebeard set her down, giving her a firm (but gentle) pop on the bottom and watching her toddle over to Izo, who held up a set of clothes for her to wear. haruta laughed at the frustrated and defeated expression the other girl wore as she allowed Izo to clothe her. Soliel was scowling and refusing to look at her father, lips pursed and brow furrowed.

"She is definitely your daughter, Pops. No doubt about it."

The man nodded with a chuckle. "What makes you say that, my dear?"

Brew rolled his eyes, "You're both too bloody stubborn."

"That's not stubborness, that's determination, and she gets the temper from her mother."

...

Blenheim whistled to himself as he perused the cold storage room for something to make for breakfast. He was dying to try out a new recipe from one of the books he'd purchased in Sky Harbor, but he had no clue on what to use as the main ingredient. With a frustrated sigh he walked into the kitchen and spotted Soliel, hair tossled from her morning nap, staring at a bowl of fruit like they were the richest jewels in the world.

"What'cha lookin' for, little one?"

Soliel huffed and pointed to the clutch of small, yellow-orange fruits in one of the bowls. There were a few dozen of the golf-ball sized morsels and Soliel wanted one. Blenheim lifted her up to sit on the counter, and he handed her one of the Achachairu's, cracking the hard outer skin and revealing the white flesh within. Soliel attacked it with gusto, sucking the juice until it ran down her chin, and tearing chunks with her teeth. The girl had a voracious appetite, eating nearly as much as the men on the ship did, and Blenheim enjoyed watching her try new things. She wasn't too picky for a child, and liked most foods.

She also had a few allergies, which was rough considering that her most severe also happened to be her father's favorite food; the girl couldn't eat avacados or her tongue and throat would swell, she had a consumption and contact allergy with apricots (but she was fine if she ate peaches), and she had a mild milk allergy. She hated the white stuff, yogurt, and even ice-cream (which Haruta was shocked by). However, the child _loved_ cheese. The allergy was mild in the fact that she would get an upset stomach and maybe throw up a bit, but no fecal issues followed the allergy, which is usually how lactose-intolerance went.

"Well, Soliel," Blenheim turned to the girl and held up a colored picture cookbook. "What shall we have today?"

Soliel slurped more juice from the Achachairu and then eyed the bundle of guapuru, large black ball-like fruit with a shiny navy/purple skin and a mushy, pudding-esque black interior. She made a grab for it and Blenheim shook his head, "You'll spoil your appetite." Soliel gave him a _are you kidding me?_ kind of look and he laughed.

"Help me make breakfast, _then_ you can have one."

Soliel looked at the book and then waited for Blenheim to turn the pages. there were egg dishes, veggie dishes, any and every kind of fish, and other types of protein. She huffed, her brow crashing down in an excellent imitation of her father, and she screamed, "_THAT!_" and slammed her palm against the book. "P'ease?"

Blenheim nodded and smiled, "Shrimp rice-omelet it is."


	9. Chapter 9

In the nearly thirteen years that the Whitebeard crew had taken a infant female into their lives, not much had changed. Aside from rearing the girl, they went about their lives as they always did; being pirates. Causing a bit of trouble, fighting with other crews, the occasional murder, robbery, and basic badassery were all the Whitebeard crew did on a daily basis.

When they weren't babysitting the copper-haired, sunset-eyed pretten daughter of Edward "Whitebeard" Newgate.

Soliel Andromeda Newgate was tweleve years old, and as rowdy as a twenty-year-old male. She was caustic, a little obnoxious, and always willing to help her father and 'brothers' as much as she could, not caring whether she'd be in danger because of it. She knew the rules; stay out of sight of the government, and don't mention her parternal heritage. She didn't mind too much, because she knew that spilling the secret of her lineage could cause problems, but it saddened her too. She wanted to own up that her father was the great pirate Whitebeard. However, it was hard not to compare the two when the girl took after her father more than her mother.

Soliel was 94 pounds and 5'1". Much taller than the average twelve-year-old. Whitebeard was nearly 9 1/2 feet himself, while her mother had been more than 6. Personality wise, she was similar to most young children. Adventurous, exciteable, and relatively happy. Unless she didn't get her way.

Like now.

"_DADDY_!" Soliel glared at the man, crossing her arms over her chest, champagne colored eyes blazing with defiance. "I _don't _want to!"

Whitebeard regarded his daughter with amused eyes, chuckling. "You can't go with us, you have to stay on the ship. This is dangerous, and I won't risk you getting caught by the Navy or getting killed."

Soliel bristled, her eyes positively glowing with anger. "You let me go to Tel Mora!" Whitebeard laughed loudly, and Soliel frowned as Fossa and Blenheim joined in.

"Tel Mora is full of weaklings." He looked down at his daughter. "More so considering how _you_ managed to get three of their soldiers all by themself. You're a _child_, puppy. Battle is no place for you right now." Too late did he realize his mistake. The instant he saw the tears in her eyes, he stopped talking. Soliel's lip visibly trembled and before her father could say another word, she turned on her heel and ran, sprinting over the deck of the Moby Dick and running down the trapdoor stairs that led to the belly of the ship.

Fossa's voice was subdued, "She'll get over it, Pops. She got over not being able to join us in the fight against the Lumis pirates back on Balmora island."

"She was nine, and she didn't speak to me for nearly a month." he watched as Namur readied their weapons with Izo.

The crossdresser smiled. "She's your kid, Pops. She wants to emulate you. We all do. She's young, and wants you to be proud of her in her victories like you were at Tel Mora."

A deep sigh escaped the pirate captain as he thought back to the battle that took place two years ago:

...

_The ground forces were somewhere in the triple digits, but the Whitebeard crew was handling it beautifully. Izo fired off a few rounds at the soldiers who charged at them, hitting one right between the eyes, and another in the neck. As they fell, fossa grabbed the third one by the head and slammed him into a boulder, killing him and crushing the rock instantly. _

_Haruta and Namur were fighting hand to hand against a group of armor-clad fighters, one of which had a lethal looking tanto that she thrust at the Fish-Man in anger, nicking his arm before twisting and aiming at his face. Haruta aimed a flying kick at the other woman's face and effectively knocked her out, only to take a hard punch to the gut by her male associate. As Haruta hit the ground in pain, Namur grabbed her assailant by the leg and slammed his fist into the other man's face. _

_On another side of the battle, in the small town square, Vista and Curiel were duking it out with a pair of heavily armed guards. Vista was smooth with his saber technique, but Curiel was getting pushed back by the larger man he fought. He stumbled, causing his attacker to fall right into Vista's thrust, the blade shoving through his chest and out of his back. _

_Soliel, however, was slinking around, rubbing dirt from her face. The ten year old ducked under a falled tavern sign as a troop rushed by, carrying a massive rifle and firing at an unseen foe. when the man had vanished, Soliel took off, darting into an alleyway between the tavern and a church. Too focused on escaping, the girl didn't see the jumble of chains and netting on the ground and she tripped, slamming into the dirt with a groan. _

_"What the heck?" she picked up the thick links and suddenly melted into the shadows as more guards ran by, hollering at the "filthy piraate bastards" and firing their weapons. As she watched the men, a slow, devious smile lit her face and she grabbed the chains, winding them around a nearby post and then laying it on the ground on top of the net-bag levy before running off into the square. _

_Suddenly a voice rang out, "Hey, there's a kid!" _

_Soliel blanched and pivoted on her heel, running abck into the alley as three soldiers chased her down. Whether they were trying to attack her or not, she didn't want to get caught, and she ran past Fossa, who was grappling with a large, thickset man with a javelin, and Izo, who was in a firing match with a heavily armored gunslinger with two pistols. _

_"Hey, girl, stop!" one of the men called, and as Soliel ran faster (the men were catching up with her but she tried her best), she caught a glimpse of her father, who was throwing a soldier into a stone wall, while whacking a few more with his halberd. Their eyes met and he frowned severely as he saw the men chasing his daughter, but as they vanished into the alleyway, the cries of the three men rose up, followed by a child's cackling laugh. _

_Whitebeard came walking towards the darkened corridor, and his eyebrows shot up as he saw the three men hoisted into the air by a thick net and chain. Soliel was watching them struggle to escape, a grin on her face. _

_"Come on, pup." the pirate said, and Soliel flounced after her father. _

_Once the forces had been depleted, and the Whitebeard crew had reassembled, Whitebeard picked Soliel up and examined her. She wasn't hurt, just worn out and dirty. Her little heart was pounding, and Whitebeard smirked as she told Curiel and Vista what she'd done. _

_"They were weak," Whitebeard added. "You did well, Soliel. I'm proud of you." _

_The smile that lit her face made his heart melt. He loved his kid, and she was going to be a force to be reckoned with when she got older. _

_He chuckled and made the order to set sail. _

_..._

A few moments after the outburst, Haruta came back on deck, smiling. "She'd mad, but I'm pretty sure she understands why she can't go with us."

Whitebeard nodded and gazed at his crew. Someone would have to stay with Soliel. Not that he didn't trust her to be alone, but he wanted to ensure her safety by leaving someone to watch out for her. He turned towards the crow's nest and motioned for the figure on top to come down.

"Thatch, you're on babysitting duty."

The man dropped down and nodded, heading into the ship while the other crew members prepared to leave. As they made their way out, Whitebeard thought of a way to make up for causing Soliel to cry.


	10. Chapter 10

(Author's Note: This story will jump around in flashbacks, so if you get confused, odds are I'll clear it up in a flashback of some sort. If not, PM or leave a review stating your reason for confusion and I'll try to make sense of it.)

...

"Dad...that happened _years_ ago!" Soliel huffed as the ship sailed into the night. Twice a year, the Whitebeard pirates took a trip to Sky Harbor, the mecca of all things buy-able, mainly to restock, and mainly because Soliel made it her life's mission to own every single pair of goggles on the planet.. "And I was only mad at you for a few days."

Whitebeard chuckled at the girl. "I know, pup. I just felt like reminiscing on old times." he chuckled and watched as Thatch, Haruta and Blenheim argued over which direction to go. Blenheim said that West was faster than North-West, and Haruta smacked Thatch in the neck as he took the map from her and rolled it up.

Soliel pulled her curls into a twisted side-ponytail and then placed the bronze steampunk-esque goggles over her forehead. She stomped over towards the trio, snatched the map away and pointed West. "That way." she gave them a stern look. "West."

Haruta blinked while Curiel laughed out loud. "Who made you captain, bright eyes?"

Soliel smirked, flashing a dimple. "Y'all won't stop arguing, so who else is gonna put you in your place?" The 15-year-old looked West, where the setting sun was a dim glow on the horizon, and flashing lights from Sky Harbor could be seen, sparkling like diamonds. It was late, maybe 10PM, and that's when the real fun started on Sky Harbor. The harcore shoppers came out, and the last time the crew was on the island, a riot had broken out and people were killed, arrested, and mayhem had taken over.

Soliel kept her gaze on the lights, eager to get on dry land. She was tired of fighting and pirating; she wanted a break. And food. "Damn, I would literally gut someone for a massive steak." she groaned.

The lights grew brighter and Soliel was practically vibrating with excitement. She actually hated shopping, but found the haggling ordeal amusing. all she cared about was getting some food into her stomach. Soliel was the type of girl who could inhale a few thousand calories and not gain an ounce. The fatness was all in her head, Vista said. Her ego made her fat.

"Come on, faster!"

Whitebeard stared at his daughter, who was now bouncing lightly on her feet. "Why so anxious?"

Soliel sighed. "Hungry, not anxious."

The lights were close, and both Haruta and Izo were giddy with eagerness. Izo was probably the most high maintenance man on earth, and Haruta merely liked watching him shop. After a few minutes, the ship docked, and Soliel bolted, vaulting over the ship's stern and slamming into the sandy shore of Sky Harbor. "Later, Pops!"

Whitebeard yelled out to the girl, "Don't get lost!" he chuckled loudly and walked off into the massive horde of psychotic shoppers.

...

Soliel dipped and weaved through the crowd, dodging the shoves of others as they made their way to one place or another. Most of the shoppers were middles aged, but there were a few others who were younger; older than she, but younger than most of the populations currently ravaging the stores. The air was thick with the scents of food; sweet, spicy, savory, and Soliel's stomach let out a roar as her mind set to getting something edible. She caught a glimpse of a large yellow bell pepper on a stick, a sign for spicy food, her favorite. She charged at the food stand but after a few steps, she slammed into someone and fell on her rump.

Soliel up at the person who'd knocked her over, "Sorry," she bit out, righting her goggles and dusting herself off. She looked at the other person, and both of them got knocked to the side. "Hey!" she yelled at the passerby, "Walking requires pulling your head out of your ass!"

"Friendly, aren't you?"

Soliel glanced to the side and blinked as a bright light from a nearby shop blinded her for a moment. "Yeah, I _am_ friendly. I'm amazingly friendly."

"Sarcasm?"

Soliel re-adjusted her ponytail. "Yup."

"Sorry for knocking into you, but it was either that or hit an elderly lady."

Soliel turned her head as she saw her father walking towards her. "Oh yeah? Chivalry still exists I guess." she waved at Whitebeard. "Who are you?"

Whitebeard was given a wide berth as he walked over to Soliel, and he watched she she shook hands with a familiar looking blond man. People stepped out of his way and he pat his daughter's head.

"Soliel, Cuirel is looking for you. There's an antique stall by the fountain, and there are some old goggles there."

Soliel perked up, and forgetting the hunger pains she felt, tore off in the opposite direction. "Thanks, Pops." she grinned. "Bye, Marco!"

Marco gave a half-hearted wave and then looked up to the stern-expression of Whitebeard.

"So...you're still here, eh, boy?"


	11. Chapter 11

(I would like to inform everyone that English is NOT my first language, or even my second, so I apologize for any/all mistakes. Not to mention, I can't trype worth shit, tho' I try, so forgive me that too, will ya?)

Soliel weaved through the crowds of people, happily munching on a steak sandwich drizzled with a habanero/cilantro sauce. The meal torched her mouth and throat but she eat every single crumb and downed a bottle of chocolate-flavored almond milk to quell the spice. She was dying to see the antique goggles that her father had told her about, but as she was running, she caught site of a glass-blowing shop and she skidded to a halt.

"Whoa..." her eyes flared in delight at the sight of glass and crystal figurines that were lined up on the shelves. People, flowers, ships, animals, even foods were depicted and Soliel was amazed by the craftsmenship. She leaned forward as she spotted a dolphin, leaping over a wave with another one above it. Soliel glanced at the price and sighed; it was lovely, but she didn't need the trinket.

With a groan, she pivoted on her heel and headed towards the antiques district.

...

Whitebeard eyed the blond man in front of him. It was definitely the kid from before, though he'd filled out and gotten taller. He had the same mop of semi-spiky blond hair, and eyes the color of egglants. He was wearing a fully unbuttoned black button down with the sleeves torn off and black pants with a blue sash around his hips.

"Why were you talking to my daughter?"

Marco blinked. "Oh. We ran into each other. Literally."

"Is that so..." Whitebeard eyed the man. "Who are you, boy?"

Marco almost rolled his eyes. "Marco."

"Still stealing food?" Whitebeard chuckled.

"No. That was only once or twice, I can handle myself now." _Barely. There's little work to be had here...I hate this place. _

"How old are you?"

Marco was confused. Why the hell was the other man interrogating him? "I'm 19."

Whitebeard nodded. "Well," he turned and started to walk away. "Leave my kid alone."

Marco: O_o ?

...

Haruta and Curiel were watching as Izo argued with a woman over a vibrant purple knee-high kimono, and the crossdresser's voice got louder as the woman's language grew more vulgar. Haruta was hardpressed not to laugh, while Curiel chuckled. Soliel skidden to halt beside the two and demanded to know where the goggles were at. Curiel shushed her and nodded to where Izo and the middle-aged woman were just seconds away from throwing down.

Soliel was not amused and stomped her foot chilishly, "Curiel! _Please!_ I need the goggles!" When Curiel didn't answer, Soliel groaned dramatically and glared at him. "I'll tell Daddy!" she whisper-yelled.

The man sighed, knowing that Soliel's obsession with goggles would make her do just about anything to get them. He took her towards the center plaza and left her. The 'Tower', a tall, crystal skyscraper stood in the center of the arena-like place. It was roughly five hundred feet tall, with about forty-five floors of shopping space. Each floor had a balcony with chairs and tables for shoppers to rest at, and on the poutside, large billboards listed the wares each floor sold. Antiques were on the seventeenth floor, which was a decent height up. There was a large staircase winding around the building, but Soliel felt a lick of fear go up her spine as she examined it.

"You know," a voice said from behind, and Soliel whirled around to see Marco standing there. "It's as scary as it seems."

"Gee, _thanks_." she frowned and walked over to the Victorian-style staircase, golden eyes shut tight. She looked at Marco suddenly, "What are you doing here?"

The man shrugged. "Whitebeard told me to leave you alone." he smirked, a slow tilt of his mouth, and Soliel felt butterflies light up her stomach. "Oddly, I don't like being told what to do." He sauntered up the stairs and vanished around the corner and towards the higher floors.

Soliel beamed, following the blond and forgetting all about the goggles. _Daddy, I think he may one of the types you warned me about..._

...

Sometime later, Whitebeard was gathering his crew together when he heard the panicked cries of people, saw the rush of the crowd as people stormed the buzz of talking was too jumbled to clearly understand what was fully going on, but it piqued his interest enough to follow the crowd. Izo and Haruta were darting around people, while most cleared the way for the larger crew member like Kingdew and Blenheim.

Namur and Vista were dragging behind, not caring too much about what was happening, while Fossa laughed it up.

"How much are ya willin' ta bet that there's a fight goin' on?" he asked with a grin. He popped a cigar into his mouth and lit it, exhaling a cloud of fragrant-smelling smoke. He laughed again, and this time, Curiel joined. Whitebeard merely went because he had nothing better to do and he kind of wanted to see what all the fuss was about. As they hit the marble staircase leading down into the plaza, shrieks rent the air, and people ran faster than ever.

In the center of the arena stood a large building, and as they got closer, Whitebeard saw what the people were freaking out over.

Dangling nearly thirty feet in the air by a broken staircase, was Soliel.


	12. Chapter 12

(Because someone asked in a PM, I am 1/4 Polish, 1/4 Irish, and 1/2 German.)

...

"What the _hell_ is she doing up there?" Whitebeard growled. He wasn't too concerned for Soliel, since she had a decent grip on the the iron stair rail and was swinging her legs a little, trying to hook them on the broken metal edge. He was a little amused and wondered what had happened to the spiral staircase in the first place, but those thoughts were dashed away as he saw the blond from earlier, _Marco_, suddenly appear and reach for Soliel, but the two were just a little too far apart.

Izo walked up beside his captain and crossed his arms. He, like the rest pf the crew was worried about Soliel. she was their baby 'sister', as far as anyone was concerned, and at the moment, that was a BIG concern. "Pops," he spoke up over the din of chattering from onlookers. "React as though she's merely a crew member. You can't express actual fatherly concern."

Whitebeard gave a begrudging nod and his eyes shot up as the crowd gasped.

Soliel was slipping a little, but she'd managaged to hook one of her ankles into a snappe off rung and was using her upper body to haul herself up a few inches. Luckily that was all the leverage she needed because Marco leaned over the other rail and grabbed her arms, jerking her forward as the staircase squealed and ultimately collapsed. People screamed and ran out of the way as the hundred-plus pound mass of twisted metal plummeted to the ground. Haruta let out the breath she'd been holding and watched as Soliel righted herself and gave a cheery little wave to the crowd below, all of whom burst into cheers and applause at the rescue.

Whitebeard felt a twinge of anger as his daughter disappeared up the stairs, followed closely by Marco, and he had half a mind to bring the whole damn bulding down with his earthquake ability. However, the semi-rational side of him agreed that he owed gratitude to the man for helping his child from falling to her death.

But who said he had to be nice about it?

...

Soliel sat down and rubbed her face, sighing. Her heart was pounding and she was breathless; she was terrified. She's been heading into the entrance to the antiquities shop while marco had gone farther up (for who knew what reason), and as she breached the threshold of the doorway, there'd been a loud groan from under her feet and the last thing Soliel saw was the horrified expression of a shopper as she dropped almost ten feet before getting caught on the edge of the sharpened rails. Her shoe was stuck and she couldn't move too well, but her hand had a good grip on the rail above her head, so that her body was in a hammock-like position. As she feel, she let out a blood-curdling scream and after a moment she saw Marco appear on the staircase, looking confused and then horrified.

She managed to pull herself up a few inches, but their hands couldn't connect.

And it was funny...she was partially driven to get up so she wouldn't die, and the other half of her determination was because she wanted to touch him. She had no idea what was going on in her brain, but she found herself attracted to the blond, even though they'd met twice (once as children which she barely remembered, and then a few hours ago) and had barely talked to each other.

"Are you okay?" Marco rose an eyebrow and Soliel nodded.

"My hands hurt."

The blond sat on a few steps above her. "You were hanging there for nearly half an hour, and the rails are sharp so I can understand why your hands would still be in pain." He watched as Soliel pulled her ponytail out and the reddish-gold ringlets fell below her shoulders. She finger brushed her hair a few times and put the hairband on her wrist and then rearranged her bronze and black leather goggles.

"Why do you like goggles so much?" he asked, leaning back agaisnt the wall of the building. Down below, people were trying to find a way to get them down. The stairs were the only way up and down the Tower, and since a decent chunk of stairs were gone, the two had to wait until help arrived since the gap was too large to jump and they were to high up to climb down.

Soliel smiled, revealing white even teeth. "They look cool, and they're useful. Sandstorms, wind, water..." she grinned. "I go swimming when the ship is docked somewhere, since there's not a lot of ways to exercise when on the ship and the goggles help me see."

Marco sighed. "I miss swimming."

Soliel rose a delicate eyebrow. "Is there some reason you don't anymore?"

Marco smirked and then rolled his eyes. "Can't, not don't."

"I'm sorry?"

"When I was twelve, I stole a basket of fruit that some pirates who were bartering in the food district and I ate a Devil fruit that I mistook for a small cantaloupe." Soliel's eyes popped. "My first clue should have been that not many fruits are blue and yellow, but I was starving and ate it. It tasted the way vinegar smells and-hahaha, yeah, it was vile."

Soliel wrinkled her nose and grimaced. "That's...unfortunate." She desperately wanted to ask what ability he'd be given but didn't want to pry too much, but her expression must have held her inquiry because Marco chuckled and tilted his head back against the crystalized wall.

"I can turn into a pheonix." he said, turning to look at the crowd below before looking back at his female companion. Soliel's smile was slow, but within seconds it it lit up her whole face and Marco was struck with how pretty she was. Heart-shaped face, copper colored curls, and eyes the same shade of the sunrise.

She frowned. "Wait a sec...can't you just..._fly_ down there?" Marco's wry smile confused the hell out of her and she opened her mouth a little in shock. "You...you can't fly, can you?"

"Not in the slightest." he laughed. "I've tried, believe me, but I can't do it."

Soliel watched as the people below milled about, hauling up ladders and other leverage equipment to aid the two teens down from the wreckage. As she spotted her father she snorted with laughter at his expression. He was mad, but also concerned, so she knew that he ws only upset with her being alone with Marco, more than likely.

Hopefully.

She turned her face up towards the blond, "Thanks, by the way. For pulling me up."

"Not at all, you'd have done it too if someone were falling."

She smiled, "I owe you."

He shook his head with a smirk, "No you don't."

"I do. How about, in exchange for saving my life," her smile was just a little evil and Marco eyed her warily. "I teach you how to fly."


	13. Chapter 13

Marco was silent for a moment, his brain processing what the girl just said. "_You_..._you're_ going to teach me to _fly_?" he tilted his head. "And how, pray tell, do you plan on accomplishing this magical feat?" When Soliel grinned, he felt uneasy, but was grateful when the sudden _clank_ of a thick ladder banged into the staircase, offering the two stranded teens a way down to the safety of solid ground.

Soliel smiled devilishly, "Come with me and find out." she winked and dropped down the ladder, flouncing off to greet her father and 'siblings'. She jogged up to Whitebeard, who grabbed her and brought her up to eye level. She struggled, kicking against her father's hold for a second before giving him a wolfish grin. "Hi, Daddy!"

Whitebeard's voice was hard. "What were you doing alone with that boy?"

Soliel blinked. "You mean Marco? We got stuck and he helped me when I was slipping." She saw Haruta and Izo give her knowing smirks, and Haruta winked. Soliel looked up at her father and smiled that special smile of hers that melted his heart and made him do anything she wanted. "I like him, Daddy. he's nice." For the first time in his life, Whitebeard felt a shiver of fear. He took a deep breath and tried to relax his thoughts. Just because Soliel simply said she liked Marco didn't necessarily mean that his daughter _liked_ him. Maybe they just started to become friends. It didn't mean Soliel wanted to jump the blond.

"Soliel."

"Yeah?" Whitebeard stared into his child's eyes; captured by the warm dusky gold hue of her irises. She pouted, her features getting that wide-eyed puppy-like expression that she adopted when she was trying to be cute; which is why he often refered to her as 'puppy'. After a few more moments he spoke.

"He saved you?" Soliel nodded, her curls bouncing.

"Yes, when I was slipping, he helped keep me steady while I pulled myself up." she frowned suddenly. "Don't do anything to him, Dad, he's...he's a good guy."

"Would you have him join the crew?" Soliel was not expecting that and she looked up so fast her neck cracked. "Bwuh?" Her cheeks tinted pink and Whitebeard groaned internally. This was what he was afraid of. His kid was attracted to the other teen, and there was nothing he could do about it. Unless..._maybe if he had the brat join, then they started getting to be friends, but...then they could potentially hate each other_! He smirked.

"Soliel," He set his daughter down and looked over to where Marco was talking to a few people about what had happened. "I suppose a thanks are in order because he helped you." Soliel looked over at Marco, who was staring up at the building as people started to evacuate from the higher floors as ladders were propped up against the side of the Tower that was farthest away from the wreckage and the inhabitants were slowly making their way down as those on the lower floors began to exit through the front, side, and rear doors. He glanced over at the pirate crew and rose an eyebrow as Soliel waved at him and motioned for him to come over.

The blond headed their way and Haruta turned to Izo, "Ten beri that Pops flips out and kills him."

Izo smirked and crossed his arms against his chest. "You're on."

As Marco grew closer to the group, Soliel looked up at her father, whose stony facial expression made her grin, she tilted her head to the side, "By the way, _Pops_," she leaned onto her hip a little. "I made a deal with him for helping me earlier, so, in answer to your previous question, _father_, yes, I would have him join the crew."

Whitebeard snorted as Marco arrived, arms by his sides and a neutral expression on his face. He looked at Soliel and rose an eyebrow. "Yes?"

Whitebeard opened his mouth to speak but the sixteen-year-old cut him off, "Any chance I can get you to join us?"

Marco's eyebrows shot up in confusion, "Come again?"

"Join Whitebeard's crew." Her tone was serious and her eyes had an almost..._pleading_? look to them, like she were silently begging for him to accept her offer. Marco was silent; thinking of how many ways his answer could change his life. If he said no then he'd continue to work odd jobs for minimal amounts of money barely buy food for himself, and his home was within a few months of being condemned and torn down. Mold dotted the walls and corners and it was infested with roaches. Not because he didn't keep it clean but because it was the only place he could afford. The "Hole", the neighborhood he lived in was full of run down little hovels in a low valley out in the otherwise uninhabited forest on the other side of the cliffs surrounding the markets of the Southern part of the isalnd where they currently stood. Every morning he got up before dawn and hiked the nearly four hour walk down the cliffs to the harbor where he walked around asking for work. Occasionally he'd be given a a chance to help stock food stalls or cook for the inns that dotted the coast, he even helped to build one of the new clothiers. But he barely made enough money to feed himself. Marco cursed. His life would be much better if he became a pirate, plus...

Violet eyes met gold and he saw the slightly crestfallen expression on Soliel's face as his silence drew out. The other members of the crew were giving him scutinizing glares, like they were deciding whther to pound him if he declined the younger girl's offer of joining her father's crew.

Marco looked Whitebeard in the eye. "When are we leaving, _Pops_?"


	14. Chapter 14

Soliel paced in front of her father's room. "What the hell are they _doing_?!" she whisper-yelled to Izo, who shrugged. "It's been almost three hours!"

Ever since Marco had been granted access to join the Whitebeard pirates, every single crew emember took a turn talking to the teen. Izo and Haruta had gone first, and stayed for about fifteen minutes before exiting the room with grins on their faces. Blenhiem, Curiel, Kingdew and Fossa were next, and they had interrogated the man for nearly an hour, while everyone else took roughly ten to twenty minutes to talk to Marco. As for Whitebeard; after eveyone had their share of talking, Edward Newgate had calmly walked into his office/bedroom and had locked the door. Soliel, who had at first been greatly amused by it all, was slowly becoming agitated, and she groaned aloud as it reached the three hour mark.

"For the love of all that is holy, wh-" Soliel stopped as the door creaked open and her father's booming laughter could be heard.

"If only that were true, boy. If only that were true, hahaha!" he stepped out onto the deck and looked at his daughter. "What's got you so wired, pup?"

Soliel bristled, "_DADDY_!" she glanced at Marco and then back at her dad, "What were you talking about for so long?"

"As the captain. I am obligated to interview and assess all and any potential crew members." he smirked. "I am also aware of the promise you made to the boy, and if you actually are planning on teaching him to fly, then you need an area with open fields and air, away from water. It just so happens that there's a place like that here in Sky Harbor, out in the western island."

Soliel hesitated, "Wait...so-"

"I have a...sensitive matter to attend to, _alone_, and you all will stay here and," he puased, as though searching for the right word. "Train the boy." At once, the crew went into an uproar, yelling about how crazy he was to leave, and that it was dangerous, and there was no way they were staying on the island while he went off on his own. Whitebeard calmy listened to the banter for a few moments before holding up a hand, silencing them all instantly.

"This is something I will do on my own. That is an order. You will stay here, keep an eye on those two-" he motioned to Marco and Soliel. "and I shall return within a week or so."

No one said anything against him, and merely went off going about their duties.

Soliel turned to Marco, "So...can I see your wings?"

...

The flames were gold and blue, and were the most beautiful things that Soliel had ever seen in her life. Shaped to form wings, they grew out between Marco's shoulder blades and shifted slightly with his breathing. "Are they hot?" she asked.

"Not to me, but I don't know if anyone could get burned from touching them."

Soliel bit her lower lip and stepped forward a bit. "Can I touch them?"

Marco blinked and then shrugged, "Sure." The moment her hand got within centimeters of the appendages, they suddenly grabbed the girl, and warmth, which was slowly growing in intensity, enveloped her.

"Hey! What's with the ambush?"

Marco shook his head, "I don't know! I haven't had this power for long, I don't know what's happened." He retracted the wings and vanished them all together, and Soliel righted her self, face pink from the heat, and the proximity of being so close to the ninteen-year-old.

"Maybe it was a defensive instinct?" she theorized.

Marco raised an eyebrow at her and grinned. "To do what…hug my enemies to death? Wouldn't it have made more sense for them to slap you across the room or something?"

Soliel shrugged. "Depends. If I was trying to steal from you it'd be hard to get away with those things wrapped around me and if you had a weapon on you, I'd be screwed."

"Hmm, good point," agreed Marco. His first conscious tactic would have been to put enough distance between himself and an aggressor to get a weapon ready and gain some advantage, but Soliel's logic also made sense. He didn't say it out loud, but he thought the instinctive reaction was motivated by something far different than self-defense.

Soliel smiled warmly. "Anyway, we can start working on it tomorrow. I'm worn out from being stuck on the stairs for hours." she laughed a little and waved goodnight before entering the ship and vanishing from sight.

Marco ran a hand through his hair and sighed. Tomorrow was going to be a long day...


	15. Chapter 15

(A/N: The songs used in this chapter are "Brand New Breeze" from La Corda d'Oro, and "Magic Number" from KOBATO.)

As the Whitebeard prepared himself for the mysterious solo mission he was going on, Fossa, Marco and Soliel traversed the mountains towards the little village Marco lived in. He claimed he didn't require assistance in getting his belongings, but Whitebeard made them do it anyway. It was well into the night now, and it would probably be dawn by the time they arrived back to the ship.

Fossa walked in front of Soleil, not trusting Marco to be close to the younger teen. Soliel was humming, totally enraptured by the surrounding rain forest they were traversing through. It was dense, and a thick fog slipped through their feet, obscuring the ground. Marco had been asking questions on each crew member, what their station was, or what they did. Fossa had just been explaining that Jozu was one of the best fighters when Soleil suddenly broke into song, and she disappeared into the thick trees.

"Ugoiteru toki no naka meguri aeta ne You & I? Afuredasu kono omoi kienai you ni atatamete~ Kirameku mirai ni anata to futari de itai kara. Anata ga iru kara kyou mo ashita mo I can keep on going~" Soliel's voice was soft and melodious, and she was totally oblivious to everything else as she sang to herself, not too loud, but it caught Fossa and Marco's attention.

Fossa chuckled as the the girl skipped ahead, humming loudly. "Don't go too far, little sister." A mock salute was given and Soliel kept going. "She's the entertainer, I guess you could say. Always dancing and singing and being silly."

Marco was busy translating the song in his head. /It felt like time stopped, when I first saw you. Didn't we meet by fate, you and I? These feeling inside, are overflowing, I will keep them safe and sound in my heart. Both of our futures, are shining bright, and we will share this promise for the rest of our lives./

Soleil's voice dimmed as she got farther and farther away, and Fossa called out to her. "Soleil, if I can't see you, then you're too far!"

"Does everyone speak to her like she's a child?" Marco asked.

Fossa smirked, "Not really, it's just that she's innocent and naïve, and needs to constantly be watched out for."

They reached the end of the dirt path and the moon was almost completely blocked out by the canopy of trees. Marco took over at that point and led the other two down a rocky cliff side, being sure to go slow so they didn't loose their footing and fall down the deadly hill and hit the crag-filled lagoon below. Soleil had her arms spread out to balance herself, and she stopped suddenly as the moonlight vanished completely, plunging them into darkness.

"Fossa!" She whined. "Marco...?"

Marco willed flickering cerulean flames to his hands, and the light allowed the trio to see. Soleil hopped from one cluster of rocks to another and she stumbled as a branch snagged her ponytail and threatened to tear her goggles off. She gasped and righted herself, following Marco's glow. As she stepped up to the two men, Soleil felt her heart beat faster, and butterflies erupted into her stomach.

/I've known him for all of three days and I've already got it bad.../ she shook the thought from her head as they descended the cliff. /Daddy isn't gonna like this./

...

Whitebeard gathered all of the necessary medicine he would need to take for the journey. He was still young as far as e was concerned, but his body said otherwise. He packed the portable oxygen tank and extra cartridges in case he suffered a severe attack. He had all the essentials; medicine, a transponder snail, and his halberd (because apparently he's too badass to use badass to use traveling supplies like normal people!).

He set his satchel aside and picked up the picture he'd set on his desk. A tall, slender woman with dark hair smiled out the photograph, her belly gently distended from pregnancy. One hand was resting on her stomach, and the other was by her side. "Month five!" was scrawled on the back, and Whitebeard felt a pang of sadness as he remembered the times he'd spent with Azalea. She was a beautiful woman, and had a fiery personality. Soleil had a few mannerisms like her mother, they way she'd bite her lower lip was she was nervous, and the way she'd suddenly become clumsy when she was excited about something.

He chuckled and slipped the picture into his shirt, right against his heart.

...

Fossa swore as a snake slithered over his foot and into the bushes, and Soleil's eyes flared at the size. It wasn't that she didn't like snakes; she liked all sort if things! Bugs, reptiles, and other critters. The one thing she couldn't handle were spiders and crabs.

She dashed the images from her head as though to rid a pesky fly and Marco chuckled.

"What are you doing?"

"Imagining things I don't like."

"SOLIEL THERE'S A SPIDER ON YOUR SHOE!" Fossa bellowed, and the shriek that tore from Soleil's throat made Marco's ears ring.

After being reassured there was no such creature, Soleil (who had tears in her eyes), yelled at the older pirate, brandishing the mother-of-pearl and Lapis Lazuli wakizashi she'd purchased at the marketplace.

"You son-of-a-beach!" Soleil growled.

"'Beach'?" Marco echoed.

Fossa laughed some more, and the three continued on their way to the slummy little village where Marco lived. As they walked, Soleil began to sing again, and Marco couldn't help but laugh.

"One two three! No aizu de ryoute hirogete! Zenshin ni hikari o atsumete! Doko ni aru no? Oshiete watashi ni dekiru koto. Meippai kizutsuite, seiippai hashitte.  
Nanjuukai koronde naite sore de mo mada~ Akireru kurai~ Ashita o shinjiteru!"

/I count 1, 2, 3, and spread my arms wide! The sun is shining! Where can I find something to do? I've been hurt, and run as far as I could, I've fallen to the ground and cried. But through all that, I still believe in tomorrow!/

...

Haruta was smiling as Izo talked, half listening, half drawing out the map that led from the docks to the abandoned farmland where Soleil was going to "teach" Marco to fly.

Izo took a sip of wine as smirked, "I can see it."

Haruta snorted. "Can you now."

"Of course!" Izo slapped his hand on the table. "Soleil keeps staring at him, and it's so cute! She likes him!"

"Don't let pops hear you say that." Haruta warned, looking up from the map.

Izo nodded. "He'd throw a fit if he knew Soleil liked someone."

"He'd kill Marco."

Whitebeard's voice came from behind the duo, "Who would kill Marco?"


	16. Chapter 16

(To answer a read question: Soleil is afraid of the dark. It's her biggest fear.)

Soleil was inching along the line of trees that led down to the village, using the branches as leverage to keep her from falling. Fossa was trucking ahead, like the beast of a man that he was, a sweet-smelling cigar in his mouth. Marco was in front, blue flames lighting their way. The forest was incredibly dense, and Soliel wasn't too fond of being in the dark. She kept getting distracted by the sounds of wildlife, and every little noise that invaded her ears. It also didn't help that she was a little bit directionally challenged. She kept walking along the row of boulders that lined the path they walked, and she worked her way to the middle, Fossa some feet behind her, and Marco in front.

Soleil pictured Marco's eyes, and she thought of how pretty they were; a deep purple that reminded her of the amethyst throwing stars she'd seen in the weapons district. And his hair was that deep gold color that was usually found on people who spent too much time outside. Body wasn't bad either-

/Ooh, don't go there, Soleil./ Soleil shook her head of the risqué thoughts, her cheeks heating. /Oops, I went there. Still going there too./

"Soleil," Marco glanced back and she she looked up with a small 'huh?'. "How do you know how to fly?"

"I have a book-" she stumbled. "That has every single creature on the planet, detailed sketches and information on the animals, and in the avian section there's a detailed pull-out of how wings function and how the birds manipulate the appendages to fly."

Fossa sighed, "I don't understand how that stuff sticks in your head, but you can't remember where you left your shoes."

Soleil sent him a toothy grin, "Selective memory."

Marco smirked. He was beginning to like these people.

...

Whitebeard wasn't stupid, he knew that Soleil had started to like Marco, even though they hadn't known each other very long. He didn't like this, of course, but he had decided that it would be best if his daughter was interested in someone who was in their crew and not an enemy or stranger.

But that didn't mean he had to be happy about it.

He turned to Haruta, "When they return, we'll have a little...meeting. Then I'll be heading off."

Izo frowned, "Pops, not that I don't think you can't handle yourself, but if you had an attack-"

"Watch your mouth, boy." The older pirate said. "I know what I'm doing." Izo grew silent, and Haruta sent him a sheepish smile.

"Oh, c'mon, Pops! They're just worried about ya!" Thatch smirked as he walked over to the trio, running gel-slicked hands through his hair.

/And people say I'm a diva./ Izo mused.

...

The village was a village in name only. The sheet metal, brick and wood hovels provided little shelter against the elements, and Soliel looked around in sadness. People living in such squalor when there was a magnificent city just miles away...

Marco read the unspoken question in her eyes, "Everyone here is an outcast, shunned by normal society. For one reason or another."

Fossa frowned severely. "Like what?"

Marco nodded in the direction of three conjoined huts by the edge of the river. A cluster if rocks circled the home, and there were leaves in the shape of a large 't', like a cross.

"The people in that house have rage-induced narcolepsy. When they sleep, they attack, but out here, they usually go after animals." He pointed to a small, square shaped hut that had vines wrapped around the door, and spiky branches covering the outside walls. "That's Karter. He has a Devil-Fruit ability that absorbs life. He takes whatever life is in something, and adds it to his own. At the rate he's at, he'll live to be around 200 years old."

"How old is he now?" Soleil asked quietly.

"Thirteen." Marco smiled a little at her forlorn expression. "He lives with his mother and father. He doesn't realize what he's doing, though because he has some sort of mental disability."

Fossa watched as a young woman emerged from the hovel closest to the path the emerged from, and she smiled and waved at Marco, who waved back. The girl's hair was cut so short she was almost bald, and odd marks covered her skin.

"That's Lina, she has Lupus." Marco frowned. "If you have any sort if weird sickness, or an ability that can be viewed as 'abnormal' then you get banished here."

Fossa snorted. "That's ridiculous." Marco nodded in agreement.

Soleil's expression turned stormy, her brows crashing down in anger. "Just because they're different?!"

"People aren't always accepting of things." He shrugged. "But everyone is happy. There are some people in Sky Harbor who bring down supplies to us, and we've all sort of accepted it."

Soliel shook her head. "Ignorance. Intolerance. I hate it." She thought of how things would be for her f the world found out she was Whitebeard's blood daughter. The government would hunt her down like nothing else, and her father, her brothers, the crew would fight to keep her safe. These people didn't have that, and if broke her heart.

"What's wrong little sister?" Fossa tilted her head up and wiped the tears off her cheeks. "Why are you so sensitive?"

"Why are people such assholes?"

Marco gave a hard laugh. "That is a question for the ages."

...

It was nearly dawn by the time that Soliel, Fossa and Marco returned to the ship, and Whitebeard instantly noticed his daughter's change in mood. He set his bag and weapon aside as Soliel walked up to him, her lips trembling.

"What's wrong, pup?"

"Daddy-" she looked up, sunshine eyes thick with unshed tears. "I don't want you to go." Her voice was soft, loud enough only for him to hear, and he pat her on her head.

"I have something to take care of, but I'll be back. I've left you before, and you've never really been bothered."

"But you weren't alone those other times!"

Kingdew nodded in agreement, "She's right, you always had someone with you before." Other crew members were voicing similar words, but Whitebeard ignored them.

"This is something I have to do alone. You all stay here and I will return within a week or two." He said his goodbyes and took the smaller ship that was attached to the bottom of the Moby Dick. "Don't cause any trouble. You can take turns being in charge." He smirked devilishly. Soliel pouted and groaned aloud, walking over to the edge of the ship and watching as her father sailed off into the distance. Thatch had voted he be the captain first, but Fossa pulled rank of seniority and won.

Marco watched as Soliel walked off by herself and vanished into the ship.


	17. Chapter 17

(Quick question for readers! How would YOU, the reader, like to see Marco and Soliel's relationship turn out? What do YOU want to see? I want feedback on what viewers like and would like to see, and not just what I want. So either review or PM me and let me know, please! If you do, I'll give you a 3-5 chapter update this week because I have tons of free time. *winks*)

Also! For those interested, I am need of OC's! If you would like to be in the story, like a member of Whitebeard's crew, a live interest for Ace or Thatch, or someone/thing else, message me with a detailed description of your character!


	18. Chapter 18

(Question: What do you think that Whitebeard is up to? Also, should Soliel get a Devil Fruit power?)

...

Soliel's eyes were narrowed slightly as she stood in the doorway of her father's room. She saw that his desk was covered in papers, and she wondered if maybe there was clue inside as to where her father had gone, and why. She ran a hand through her hair and groaned, "Damn it, old man! Why must you be so mysterious?" She started to rifle through the sheets of documents on the desk, unaware that Marco, Izo and Vista were watching her.

...

"She's going to have a hard time." Vista said quietly, watching as his 'sister' rummaged through papers and books.

Izo nodded a few times in agreement, "This will be the longest he's ever been away from her."

"Why will it be hard on her?" Marco asked.

Vista nodded in Soleil's direction, "She has separation anxiety. Because she doesn't have a mother, she's really attached to Pops and she's also attached to the three of us; Haruta, Izo and myself. So when Pops is gone, we take care of her. Not that she can't take care of herself, but because she's young, and has emotional issues."

Marco gave a small 'ah' in understanding and the three men suddenly melted back into the shadows as Soliel turned in their direction. She didn't see them, but they weren't willing to risk her catching them spying on her.

Soliel sat down with a folder in her lap, rummaging through paper after paper. It wasn't that she was annoyed or worried, she was just nosy. There were papers about the government, pirate attacks, something called "Shichibukai", a few wanted posters, and, Soliel tilted her head, a black binder that was sealed with a thick leather cord.

It took her about ten minutes to loosen the damn thing, and she finally had to use her teeth at one point to tug it off completely. She unwrapped the cord and threw it on the desk, opening the book and eagerly staring at its contents.

"Fuck. Me."

...

Marco turned to Vista, "How many-" he used air quotations. "'children' does he actually have?"

"As in crew members? Right now if say...maybe twelve-hundred or so. Each commander has about a hundred men under them, and we've got twelve commanders right now. Pops also has a lot of allies and their crew, so we don't have an exact number." He lowered his voice a little, "Soliel, however-"

"Since you're one of us now, it's safe to tell you." Vista interrupted.

Izo nodded with a small smile, "She's Whitebeard's actual daughter. By blood."

Marco blinked. "That would explain some things." He chuckled. "She acts just like him."

"Oh, we know." Izo laughed.

Vista suddenly leaned over, "Why is she so shocked? Look at her."

The three men turned to watch the copper-haired teen, who was flipping through what appeared to be an album of some sort.

...

The woman was beautiful, Soliel couldn't deny that. She had thick glossy hair in curly ringlets, and her smile was the one that Soliel saw in herself. Warm, with a dimple on the left side, just like her.

She knew the woman was her mother, and Soliel touched the picture, imagining what it would have been like to be held as a baby, to hug her now. The picture got blurry and Soliel put it back in the plastic covering before looking at a picture of her father, but much younger.

"We really do have the same expressions." She laughed softly and closed the book. She'd look through it more later on, but now she had something to do.

Marco, Izo and Vista ran out of the hallway and off to whee the rest of the crew sat discussing who would take turns being captain.

The galley was full of laughter, loud voices, and the occasional bang (Curiel decided to play judge and would bang a meat tenderizer on the counter when things got out of hand), and Soliel was amused by it all.

"Ya know, Nii-san," she turned to Thatch, who rose an eyebrow. "I have seniority. I'm his kid."

Kingdew nodded and shrugged. "She's right you know, if anyone gets first dibs it's her."

Thatch gave a pouty frown, "But Solieeeeeeeel~ I wanna be captain next week! Fossa's too bossy!"

Said man snorted and lit a cigar, blowing the fragrant smoke into the air. "Boy, you've no idea."

Soliel huffed. "I'm going after Thatch. Then you can all fight over the rest of the time that dad is gone, savvy?" She turned to Marco. "I've got a map of that old abandoned farmland that you talked about, so if you want, flight lessons can start today."

Marco nodded, he was incredibly interested in how the girl planned on teaching him to fly.

Little did Marco know that flying wasn't the only thing he'd learn.


	19. Chapter 19

Soliel and Marco had been walking nearly six hours before they reached the stretch of abandoned farmland some 20 miles inland from the coast. Soliel had brought her animal book, and Marco was flipping through it as Soliel led them with the map. They were equipped with plenty of water, and Soliel had a trunk dragging on the ground behind her, chained to a leather harness around her torso. Idly, Marco wondered what was in it.

"My wings aren't like a normal bird." He said, examining the bone structure of the falcon wings in the book. "It's made of fire, not bone and cartilage."

Soliel 'meh'-ed and kept walking, turning into a thicket of spiny bushes. "I'be figured it out." She looked to the blond. "You can manipulate the flames, yes?"

Marco nodded.

She stopped walking and looked down into the valley below. "Imagine a network of bone, created from flame. Work that into your wings."

Marco did as he was told, manifesting his wings. He closed his eyes and focused, imaging the fire forming delicate bones, and Soliel watched as the gloss flames shifted into the thinner parts, forming strange, almost ghostly looking bone-like structures in the blue part of the fire.

As they walked downhill, Soliel instructed Marco to imagine the wings were part of him, not just an ability he controlled.

"Flex your shoulders; withdraw the wings into your body and manifest them again until you can do it at will, and don't have to concentrate so hard." Her eyes were hard, her tone strict. "I know you don't like being ordered around, but that's gonna have to change when you're working with me, are we clear?"

"Understood." Marco chuckled. /She is definitely Whitebeard's daughter./

...

Whitebeard stared out at the ocean as he sailed; his thoughts jumping from his crew, his daughter, and the government. Then went around in a vicious circle.

/Azalea, you would be proud of Soliel. She's a good kid./ he frowned, wondering how life would be as the girl got older. She was still a baby as far as he was concerned, and she always would be in a way. But she was claiming independence now, and Whitebeard wasn't so sure he was ready to allow that.

The sky was getting dark, black storm clouds moving in overhead. The thunder that rumbled faintly in the distance promised heavy rainfall, and Whitebeard hoped he reached land before the torrential downpour started.

/It's only a few more miles. I should be fine./ he chuckled, eager to get to his destination.

"Just a bit longer."

...

There were thick oak trees spread throughout the field, and Soliel eyed the barn off to the west. It was surprisingly well kept, and would make for decent shelter if the storm that Namur predicted should arrive.

"Hey, Marco."

"Yes?"

Soliel clicked her tongue, "Have you any experience with weapons?"

"A sword." He gave a one-shoulder shrug.

Soleil's smile turned wicked and she detached the chains on the harness and quickly unlocked the trunk. "If we have time, we're going to spar."

"But I can't-"

"Don't even say it or I swear I'll kick your ass." Marco's eyes flared. "Vista has taught me to use a sword since I was 4. And I'm pretty damn good at it."

"Flying first."

She nodded, "Yes. Flying first."

The two walked to the barn to store the trunk (which turned out to be file with food, weapons and medical supplies), and Marco continue to read the explanation of how wings worked.

After a half hour or so, he stood and faced the hay loft. "I think I'm going to try."

"Have at it." Soliel said, following the older teen up the pulley and watching as he opened the door. "Just take your time."

"Yeah. Sure."

The first three attempts were rough, Marco trying to get enough control over the connection between his body and his wings so that he had the ability to control both at once. He would hover and then drop the twenty feet from the loft, then go again. And Soliel was awed by how fast it happened.

On the fourth attempt, Marco climbed up to the barn, and imagined it working. He saw, clear as day, him soaring over the field and back.

"Marco? Hey, c'mon, fourth time's the charm." Soliel grinned, and Marco smiled back.

Without waiting for his mind to kick into daydream mode again, Marco charged at the open loft doors and leaped, hooting with a mixture of fear and reckless exhilaration as he hurtled through the empty air. He snapped his wings out and wobbled a little as he adjusted the angle, gliding toward the ground with decent control. He flapped his wings cautiously and gained a little altitude, but he was heading straight for one of the nearby oak trees and he knew he was going to have to go higher to avoid flattening himself against the trunk.

"Watch out for the—" Soliel hollered.

Marco climbed higher and missed the trunk, but he hit the canopy and went through it with a string of curses and yelps. The branches rustled and he shot out on the other side, spitting leaves.

"Tree," finished Soliel with a sigh.

Thankfully, her friend didn't appear to be injured and she smiled with relief. The blond banked to the left and circled around a little unsteadily, but he held onto his control and flapped his blue and gold wings, going higher and higher. Soliel hooted with excitement and jumped out onto the hay pulley, clinging to the old rope as it reeled her down to the ground below. She pulled the shaded goggles hanging around her neck over her eyes to shield them from the sun and she ran beneath the gliding teen, following him with shouts of encouragement.

After a little while, Marco landed in a bare field, only stumbling a little. He smiled at Soliel as the redhead ran toward him, jumping and waving her arms with glee as she did so.

"You did it! You kicked ass!" Soliel laughed as she closed the distance and threw her arms around the taller man impulsively. She realized how she was acting and she flushed, embarrassed for letting herself go so much. "I mean…uh…good work."

Marco chuckled. "You helped! I never would have gotten the hang of it without that brain of yours."

Soliel shrugged, unable to contain her smile as he averted her champagne-hued eyes. "My family wouldn't recognize me if they saw me like this."

"They don't know what they're missing," Marco said seriously.

...

Marco practiced for several hours, taking little breaks in between flights to refresh himself and chat with Soliel. He was a little worried that the girl would start getting restless and bored but she seemed to enjoy watching him fly as much as Marco was enjoying doing it.

Eventually Marxo got a little cocky and decided to try something a little more daring than simply flapping around. Soliel watched with a puzzled frown as the gold-haired man gliding above her flew almost straight up. Her confusion turned into concern as Marco kept going in an arc until he began to go upside-down.

/What's he trying to do?/

Soliel watched, herneck craning as her friend went up and over until he was behind her instead of in front. She then realized that Marco was trying to do a loop, but he'd miscalculated his distance from the ground and he was now zooming in straight for Soliel at alarming speed, his angle too steep to control.

"Oh, SHIT!"

Suddenly, Soliel was running away from Marco's trajectory as fast as she could and from behind her, she heard Marco echo the curse that she'd just shouted a moment ago. The frantic flap of wings grew louder as the man bore down on the fleeing girl. The redhead risked a glance over her shoulder and he saw Marco's wide-eyed, terrified face just a few feet behind her. The teen was obviously trying to slow down but he'd gained so much momentum when he'd tried the stunt that he wasn't succeeding.

"Soliel, look out!" Marco shouted as he windmilled his arms. "Duck or something, woman!"

Logic would have dictated that Soliel throw herself to the ground or zigzag out of the way, but it didn't occur to her to do any of that until it was too late. Marco couldn't change directions and the back of his friend's fiery-golden head filled his vision as he ran face-first into it. Soliel's hair was soft but her skull was pretty hard and Marco's eyes watered with pain as his nose took the brunt of the collision.

Down they went, in a tangle of arms, legs and wings. The two rolled in the grass and despite the pain shooting through his nose and cheekbones, Marco held Soliel tightly and did his best to wrap his wings around her to buffer her body and protect her. They finally came to a ragged stop after a few feet and they lay there in stunned silence, panting heavily.

"You okay?" Marco asked after a moment. He ignored the sticky blood dripping from his nose and turned his friend in his arms, gazing down at Soliel frantically for any signs of broken bones or other serious injuries. The girl seemed more shaken than anything else and her goggles were hanging lopsided over her face.

"My head hurts," complained Soliel softly. She looked up at Marco and her eyes widened. "Your nose! Is it broken?"

"No, just bloodied and sore," Marco answered as he gingerly felt along the bridge with his fingertips. "I'm sorry about that, Soliel. Last thing I wanted to do was dive at you like that."

Soliel sat up and looked at him, more worried about his bloody nose than the throbbing pain in the back of her head. "Here, I've got a first aid kit in the trunk. Let's see to your nose first and then we can talk about what a boneheaded move that was."

...

They staunched the flow of blood and Soliel explained that Curiel could do better. Marco said he was fine and they continued. More cautiously, Marco resumed his practice and Soliel watched with more alertness, ready to dive for cover if the blond lost control again. By early evening, Marco had figured out how to take off from the ground. Heavier cloud cover began to move in as the afternoon progressed and after another hour, thunder boomed overhead and lightning forked down in the distance.

"Looks like the flying lesson's over for today," Marco said, his hair blowing in the wind.

Soliel nodded. "Definitely."

Marco grinned. "Tomorrow?"

"Absolutely." Soliel spun on her heel and the two races up the path back to towards the coast.

...

Whitebeard hit land sooner than he expected, but by now night had fallen and only the occasional tavern was opened. He decided to have a drink as wait until morning to conduct his business, and as he stepped into the bar, an odd chill crept up his spine as laughter met his ears.

"And that's why I'm the one who will take his head, ze ha ha ha ha!"

Whitebeard frowned. "Teech?"

the other man brightened. "Pops! What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing. Who's head do you plan on taking?"


	20. Chapter 20

The rain came down in a torrent that stung any skin it came in contact with, and the forest was quickly becoming flooded. The soil had become slick and slippery as the mud fell down between rocks and trees, and Soliel let out a vulgar curse as she slipped and went down, splashing mud and plant matter over herself. Marco was tempted to laugh but an instant later he too collapsed, and the two teens grabbed onto the thick branches of the magnolia bushes that lined the rocky paths. Marco assumed that trying to fly in the storm would be dangerous, that his wings would go out and he'd fall to his death in an attempt to get them to safety.

"You know, as much as this sucks, I'd rather stay here and wait it out than try to make it back to the ship." Soliel said, tightening her grip against the trunk of the bush.

"Maybe we could make it back to the barn?" Marco groaned as his footing slipped, and he scrambled to find purchase on the small scrap of a tree he was holding on to. Lightening cracked and Soliel screamed as two trees collapsed, sending out a wave of mud and water cascading down them. Soliel groaned as she felt the ground beneath her feet sink, and she looked over just in time to see Marco fall over the edge of the cliff and vanish.

"MARCO!"

...

Whitebeard downed the sake and set his cup down with a raised eyebrow. "So you finally took out the followers and now you just want-"

"To take the Mayor's head, yes."

Marshall Teech was a squat man with unruly black hair, and had the kind of face people usually associated men who kidnapped children and raped women with. But Whitebeard claimed the man as a 'son' when he'd been running around town, shrieking for revenge against the government. The man had been much younger, and Whitebeard took pity on the poor bastard, allowing him fight in his name as his son. About seven months ago, Blackbeard had left to go hunt down the officials who'd ruined his life.

"Now that you've completed your job, will you be returning?" Whutebeard asked.

"Of course, pops!" Teech cackled. "Unless you don't want me to, ze ha ha ha ha!"

As Whitebeard filled another glass and drank it, he wondered what the rest of his crew was up to.

...

Thatch watched the scenario unfold with an expression somewhat akin to boredom, and as Fossa and Izo yelled about who should be captain first, Thatch decided to take a cue from Haruta and leave.

No one noticed as he waltzed off the ship and into the city square.

...

Soliel was had no idea what to do. That drop was easily a hundred or so feet, either into the sea, sand, or the rocky shoals, and she steeled herself for what she might find once she looked over the edge.

She put all of her weight onto her feet and dropped from the branch she had been clinging to. She slipped, but managed to catch herself and slowly worked her way from one tree to another until she was a foot or so from the cliff.

Part of her was terrified of what could have happened to Marco, and the other was hoping he would be fine. With a deep breath, Soliel peered over the edge.

Marco was leaning against the cliffs, some thirty feet down, and Soliel was alarmed to see that his right leg stuck out at a weird angle. "Marco?"

The blond looked up. "Are you okay?"

"Are you?"

Marco shook his head. "Leg's shot."

"How shot?"

"I'm looking at my knee and the back of my shoe at the same time, the bone is sticking out." She could tell it hurt, because he was breathing faster, and he flinched when the dirt beneath him shifted with his weight. Soliel eased down the muddy embankment until she was close enough to see his leg clearly. The shin bone had snapped right out, and they were too far out for her to leave and get help.

Soliel looked up at the sky. The rain had stopped, and she could see a stretch of below them. Maybe they could make it down...

"Can you fly down there?" She asked, and Marco nodded a little, wincing.

Soliel dug her nails into the mud and slid down, feeling the rocks and stick scratch and cut at her skin, but she was happy to see that Marco was hovering above her, slowly lowering himself onto the soft sand.

"I have no idea how to fix that, and the med kit is back in the barn."

Marco groaned. "I know." He looked around and suddenly frowned. "Soliel."

"Yeah?"

Marco nodded to the south end of the beach, where a group of men stood, holding knifes and pistols; makings their way over.

Soliel's eyes flared. "Fuck. Me."


	21. Chapter 21

Okay, beloved fans! The time is nigh!

I've hit a roadblock. I have lost all of my plot bunnies (I blame Luffy, he wants to eat them.) and I beg of you, give me some suggestions!

What would you like to see? Violence, drama, romance? What do you want me to focus on? I REALLY need help, guys.

Shining-Heart, you've helped me in the past, so do it again!

The more suggestions I get, the faster I update. (Not a threats or enticement, but the more material you give, the more I can do).

Much love! Really. I love you guys. Y'all make me happy.


	22. Chapter 22

Marco watched as the four men cam at them, grinning maliciously and laughing. He recognized one of them and cursed himself for being hurt. Sure, he could fly, but with his busted leg there's no way he could do it and help Soliel out too. And if she got in trouble...

Said girl was assessing the group of ruffians, and the expression on her face mirrored her father, and Marco wondered dimly how long it would take for people to see the resemblance.

/This could turn very bad, vey fast./ he thought, wincing as pain shot through his leg.

One of the men, a bulky monster of a man stepped up to the duo, saber in hand. "Well, well, well...if it isn't our resident freak show and his little girlfriend." The man had skin the color of rust, and hair was so so dirty it could have been any color. Mud-brown eyes roamed over Soliel and the girl glared back.

"Those're some pretty eyes you have there, girlie." He cackled. "I bet they'd look good in a jar on my mantle." He pulled out a knife and walked towards her while the other three men charged at Marco.

"Fly." Marco looked at Soliel for a split second before following the command, manifesting his wings and going out of range. He knew she had a plan, based on the expression on her face, but as one of the crooks attacked, he felt like he should have stayed.

Soliel handled it beautifully.

The moment the dagger came with in range, the girl pivoted with the grace of a dancer, and her leg caught the man in the gut, knocking the wind out of him and making him fall into the dirt. As the dagger fell into the sand, Marco watched in rapt fascination as Soliel scooped it up and positioned herself in a fighters stance.

"You boys wanna play? Fine. We'll fucking play." She ducked down as the biggest man (who was equipped with a war hammer of some kind) swung at her, but Soliel was slightly faster, and she dropped to her knees before plunging the knife (Marxo closed his eyes and winced) into the man's groin. He hollered in agony and Soliel darted back to avoid the third man, but suddenly the fourth one came up and hit her across the face, knocking the redhead to the ground as stars exploded in her eyes.

Disoriented, Soliel lifte herself a bit, but her head was swimming and she felt the metallic tang of blood fill her mouth, whimpering slightly as her lip split. The pain was quickly replaced with rage however and Soliel looked up to see Marco shooting blue and gold flames at her attacker.

The man yelled and ran in zigzag patterns to avoid the blasts, and suddenly, the man had a pistol aimed at Soliel's head.

"You know, this would be the perfect form of revenge. Killing your friend because you killed mine."

Marco glared at him, violet eyes narrowing slightly. "You know why I did it."

"You didn't have to light him on fire."

/No, but I had fun doing it./ "True, but he didn't have to banish me."

The man howled with rage. "LOOK AT YOU!" He motioned to the wings sprouted from Marco's back. "You're a freak! All of them are, that's why we exiled you all! You don't belong in normal society!"

Marco rose an eyebrow as the man ranted. He didn't care if he was labeled as a freak, words like that didn't bother him.

"He's a damn sight nicer than you are though. I think the wings are maddeningly attractive and badass." Soliel said, wiping blood of her mouth. "You just send people away because you're afraid. Because they can do things you can't. Because-" she stopped suddenly, turning to look at Marco in confusion.

"What?" The blond asked, alarmed.

"Phoenix's have the power to be reborn when they die. Theyre reborn from the ashes. They can heal themselves when they're hurt." She kept an eye on the two men behind her and the man at her feet. When he moved to stand, she aimed at kick at his face, knocking the poor bastard out.

Marco's eyes flared as his dawned on him. He'd never thought to use his flames for that...

"You won't have time to try and heal, boy, because you're both going to die right now!" He raised the pistol at Soliel, who backed up, and right before he could pull the trigger, thunder boomed and a spike of white-hot lightening struck the man. A scream unlike anything she'd ever heard before assaulted Soliel's ears and she watched as the final man scrambled to get away and run off to the other side of the beach and out of sight.

"W-o-w." Soliel stressed the word into three syllables, and was suddenly overcome with a fit of giggles.

Marco released a heavy sigh and leaned back against the rocks, trying not to move his leg. The blood had started to clot around the bone, and Marco knew he'd have to clean it off even if the bone healed. He willed the flames from his wings to his leg, and as the warmth enveloped the limb, he and Soliel watched in amazement as the skin stretched and healed, the bone snapping back into place (which Marco swore at).

"That is so cool..." Soliel's face was illuminated by the glow of flames, the cerulean fire reflecting in eyes the color of the sun, and Marco found himself unable to look away from the smiling girl.

...

Thatch hummed to himself as he walked around and window-shopped. As he was leaving, Rakuyo had given him a list of things that they needed before they left. Most of it was mundane items and medical supplies, but Curiel had scribbled in some random food things in the margins. Thatch looked around, pursing his lips as he sought out an apothecary for an herb mixture used to help un-ammoniate seafood.

There was a map of the island attached to the list, and as he scanned the contents for an herbalist, he heard barking.

"Catch him, please!"

A young girl was running through the crowd, chasing a small beige dog with (Thatch snorted with laughter) a white mustache. The animal wasn't too fast, and the girl was giving it her all as she went after the dog. People moved out of the way, but no one tries helping her, which Thatch found to be rude.

He stepped out of the crowd and blocked the entrance to the harbor. Buildings blocked other areas the dog could have escaped to, and the animal snarled at the brunet man as his attempts at fleeing were thwarted.

"Not so tough now, huh, little guy?" Thatch leaned down to pick the creature up when the animal reared back and sank its teeth into his hand. "AHHHHHHH! YOU LITTLE BASTARD!"

...

Sorbet Village was a quaint little spring town known for its exotic fruits and vegetables. If you couldn't find it there, odds are it didn't exist. Whitebeard remembered when he had first met Azalea, the woman had been standing in front of her ending cart, offering the strangest fruits he'd ever seen. A purple disk-like fruit with gray streaks, a bulbous orange spiky fruit with odd tribal markings on the skin, and a see-through watermelon-esque one that had a dull silvery/blue color to it.

The woman sold Devil Fruits.

He'd been wary of her at first, wondering just how in the hell she managed to pull that off. When asked why she chose this trade, she had been shocked.

"You can see them?" She asked.

"Yes." Like it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"So I was right." She laughed. "Only those with Devil Fruits abilities can see them for what they are."

He'd asked her what she meant and Azalea went on to explain that she herself had a power, the power to create illusions, and she disguised the Devil Fruits she sold to appear as normal fruits, and when people bought them, they'd gain powers.

"Why?" He been a little angry that she would trick people like that.

"How do you think I got my ability? Someone fed me a fruit disguised as another. It ruined my life, and now I take it out on others." She smiled. "That, and I may be just a teensy bit crazy."

That smile would haunt him for the rest of his life...


	23. Chapter 23

(Note: The song in this chapter is "Lucifer" by SHINee; the English adaption. And "1000 Years Always By Your Side" by SHINee.)

...

The storm had completely blown over and night had fallen, the temperature dropping to a pleasant 75 or so degrees compared to the 90+ with 100% humidity from earlier that afternoon. Soliel wandered along the beach while Marco stayed by the cliffs, as far away from the water as possible.

"Soliel, we need to go soon, or everyone is going to wonder where we are."

"Let 'em wonder!" Was the response.

Marco saw her walk to the edge if the water, and peer out, eyes narrowed. "Marco, look!" She cried.

By now it was easy for the blond to summon his wings, and he simply slew over to hover beside the girl, eyes following her hand.

The ocean was moving, and not from the waves. There were fins breaking the surface of the water, and Marco watched as a dolphin leapt out above the water, skin glistening in the moonlight before it dove back under. Soliel was practically vibrating with excitement, and she squealed as more dolphins appeared.

After about ten minutes of watching the animals, Soliel turned to the blond. "I don't wanna go back. It's too far. I'm staying here, and you can go back. You can fly. Just tell Thatch to come find me."

There was no way Marco was doing that, and he studied the girl for a few moments. "Do you trust me?"

The redhead glanced at him. "Hm?"

"Do you trust me?"

Soliel nodded slowly. "Yes...why?"

"You can't weigh more than 115 pounds, so it should be fairly easy..." He murmured to himself.

"What's gonna be easy?" Soliel sounded alarmed and she raises an eyebrow. "What nonsense are you going on about?"

"We need to get back to the ship before it gets any later, and that will take too much time, so I thought..." Marco gave a one-shoulder shrug. "Fly with me."

Soliel spoke slowly. "Fly."

Marco nodded.

"In the air."

"Yes, as avian creatures often do."

Soliel motioned to herself, "In case ya haven't noticed, I lack wings."

Marco smirked. "That's fine." He manifested his wings, the blue and gold glow illuminating them both. "I'll be your wings."

...

Thatch watched as the girl, who he now knew as Alexei, bandaged his hand. The dog, a stray left behind from an export ship, was growling in his kennel.

"I'm sorry, he's usually so sweet, he just got away from me when I opened the door." She brushed her short black hair out of her green eyes. "Thank you for catching him."

Thatch winked, "No problem, sweetheart. Why do you keep the little beast anyway?"

Alexei have the dog a sad smile, "I've been looking for an owner. He's well behaved, house-broken, and he's honestly very loving, but no one here has the time to take in a pet." She sighed. "I'd hate to leave him on the streets."

Thatch gave a little 'hmmm' of thought. /I wonder how pop's would react to having a dog./ he looked at the animal for a minute. /And he looks like him! He totally has pops' mustache!/

"I'll take him." He said.

Alexei's eyes lit up. "Oh, really?Would you?"

"Sure." He gave the girl a charming smile. "If you come with me too."

...

Whitebeard stood in front of the rose-quartz headstone, expressionless. /Why didn't you tell me you were ill? I would have done something. We could have fixed it./ he frowned a little as the feelings of loss came back to him. /I loved you so much. I still love you, that's never going to change./

He sat down and uncorked the sake bottle he'd bought, pouring some over the grave before taking a sip. "Out daughter is a hellion, you know. Stubborn as anything, and manipulative." He chuckled. "But she's a good kid. Good sense of right and wrong, steady morals. Naïve."

The wind picked up, and Whitebeard sighed heavily. "Maybe next time I'll bring her."

He stood up and walked out of the cemetery, heading to the dock where Teech was waiting. The curly haired man was smiling in that odd way of his, like he had an evil thought or something.

Whitebeard glanced back at the village that the one true love of his life had been born in, raised in, and died in.

The breeze touched him again.

...

Soliel was scared, Marco could tell. She was hesitant, but that look and back in her eyes, the one that was so much like her father's, and she agreed.

"I can't." She laughed nervously. "I'm...afraid of heights."

Macro frowned, remembering how shaky she had been after the staircase at the Tower had collapsed. She'd been terrified after they'd gotten to a safer spot.

"Then how about I see how far away we are, and if there's a shorter, less dangerous route?"

The girl nodded. "Have at it." Marco walked away and took to the sky, quickly disappearing behind the tree line.

Soliel spun on her heels and promptly walked off towards the other end of the beach, humming to herself. She took her muddy shoes off and threw them in the sand, shifting her body to an unheard beat. She kept moving towards the end of the sandbar, grinning up at the now clear sky. Dolphins still swam in the shallows, and Soliel flicked her gaze to them. After a few moments she spun around again and walked, following the array off footprint from the bandits.

"Even if I try to keep my distance, you'll find me in an instant. I'm in a prison of your love and I can't deny it. If you really want me why can't I see you above me? But I can hear your voice below me, his whisper is the Lucifer." Soliel shifted her body again to the music she hear in her head.

She stopped dancing and took off running, flipping and doing cartwheels in the sand until she wiped out and fell on her back.

Laughing, the girl dusted herself off like nothing had happened and kept singing, a different song this time, walking towards the rocky outcrop of the cliffs.

"Afure dasu omoi. Kore ga boku no ai~ Sarani motto, motto ōkiku natte. Sugu ni subete wa. Tsutae kirenai, itsuka tsutaetai. Moshimo zen nen kakatta to shite. Zutto boku no soba ni ite~" her voice rang out, clear and sweet over the air, words echoing out into nothingness, and she opened her mouth to speak again when she caught sight of a tree growing out of the cliff side.

"What the hell is that?" She walked up to the thing, eyes narrowed on the small hexagonal shaped fruit hanging from the branches. "Oh, shit."

It was a Devil Fruit.


	24. Chapter 24

[NOTE: This chapter starts the time-skip, but I will have flashbacks and things like that, so worry not! I can't believe I've got over 100 reviews! That's amazing, I'm so happy that you all like this story so much! I've been updating a lot, because I know how horrible it is to love a story and have a 3 month wait for a new chapter, and I don't want to subject y'all to that, so I update often. Anyway, here's the newest chapter of "Champagne Supernova"! R&R~]

(This chapter contains the songs "Kolorwy Wiatr" by Edyta Gornìak; and "Vanilla Twilight" by Owl City)

...

(Five Years Later)

~SPLASH~

Thatch, Teech and Vista guffawed at the stream of curses that preceded the fall, and Rakuyo called out to Whitebeard: "Pops! Ace fell overboard again!"

There was a booming chuckle and the massive form of Edward "Whitebeard" Newgate came out of the Moby Dick. He walked over to the rail and peered into the cerulean waves below.

"Go tell Soliel to fish him out." He ordered. But the 21-year-old was on it, stripping her shoes off and racing across the deck before doing a magnificent flip off the edge and diving into the water.

Others had begun to crowd around the edge of the ship, waiting eagerly for the two to surface. Visa and Thatch were still laughing, and Marco, who Ace had been sparring with, sauntered over with a smile.

"Guess I threw him too hard." He shrugged with a laugh.

A sharp gasp came from below and Soliel's head appeared, followed by Ace's, who was busy choking for air while Soliel laughed. The girl's hair was plastered to her face and she dove back under after securing Ace to the anchor and watching her after father pull him up.

"Don't get cocky, little one!" Vista yelled, watching as his sister vanished beneath the water. After a few minutes she reappeared, Ace's trademark orange cowboy hat around her neck.

"Old man!" She motioned for help and ducked as the anchor was lowered back down. She latched onto it and when she hit the rail she spun in a circle, water flying everywhere from her ponytail. Marco back up out of range, as did her father, but Ace grained as he got hit again and he just dropped, spread-eagle onto the deck, breathing heavily.

Soliel pursed her lips, "Oh, come on. I know you can do better than that."

Ace laughed. "You go fight 'im, then!"

Soliel laughed, head tilting back, and both Whitebeard and Marco's eyes locked onto the thick jagged scar across the smaller pirate's neck. It trailed from under her left ear, to the right side of her pelvis, and was three inches thick. A souvenir from a battle with someone who wanted to steal the Devil Fruit the girl had in her possession. No one knew what kind it was, and Soliel loved swimming too much to eat it. Bit having such a thing was dangerous, and the crew kept the secret well hidden.

Soliel didn't even care about the scar, she showed it off like a badge of pride, a trophy for her victory. But Whitebeard had been severely pissed when his daughter had been assaulted, and planned on bringing the whole damn village of criminals down.

Marco had gotten there first.

Whitebeard smirked at the memory; his kids had done him proud that day. He watched as Soliel struck up a conversation with the blond, and he noticed how much more the girl smiled around him.

/You knew it was going to happen./ he told himself. /You knew it the second you allowed him to join the crew./

Ace sat up and looked over at Thatch, who was talking to Teech in a hushed manner. Most of the people on board were leaders of Whitebeard's "divisions". There were 17 of them at the moment and all them were relatively equal in strength. Soliel had her own as well, the 17th division.

"Hey, daddy?" Soliel looked up that the obelisk that was Whitebeard. "Daaaaaad?"

"What?" He asked in that gruff tone of his.

"Where are we going?"

"To Sorsei." Haruta and Vista gaped while a few others gasped.

"Pops," Blamenco spoke in an incredulous tone. "Are you crazy? It's nothing but Marine barracks and training grounds!"

"An old acquaintance of mine is there and says he has some news for me. This is not up for debate, you brats." He stared at his crew for a long time, and they at home, waiting for the man to speak.

After a few moments of thick silence, Whitebeard pointed to some of the pirates, "Soliel, Izo, Jozu and Namur...you will accompany me." Soliel's eyebrows shot up while Jozu nodded obediently. Namur acknowledged the order and Izo gave a sage nod of consent.

"Yes, sir." They said in unison.

Ace frowned. "Why them?" He pointed to himself, Vista and Marco. "We're stronger than they are."

Soliel's eyes grew murderous and she took a step towards the fire wielding man. "Excuse me? Ace, I could kick your ass into the ocean and eat h you drown, you little punk!"

"Little?" Ace bristled. "I'm taller than you!"

"I'm older." Soliel snarled back.

Whitebeard smirked, "Your physical prowess may exceed theirs, but they outrank you in stamina, and that's what I need, you meathead." Ace grinned at the insult, and stopped talking. He understood that Whitebeard knew what he was doing.

"When are we leaving?" Soliel asked. There was nervous tone to her voice, and she shot Thatch a quick glance.

Whitebeard got the significance of the look and chuckled. "The day after tomorrow." He winked at his daughter, who beamed.

...

Everything was set up according to plan, Ace and Marco had lit torches and lined them up around the deck so that the red/orange and blue/gold glow illuminated the ship. The sides starboard side had been lined with tables as covered in food, including a magnificent cake. At the very front, a makeshift stage was in place, because Soleil had planned out a show for her big brother's birthday. Thatch would be 35 today, even though he still looked 28, and everyone kept the party hushed up as not to make the man suspicious.

It was Ace and Soliel's job to get him outside without giving it away. (Which was hard to do because Ace would shut up, and Soliel was giddy with excitement).

"THATCH!" Ace walked down the barrack hallway of the ship, and Soliel was on the other side screaming "Nii-san!" At the top of her lungs. Almost immediately, the brunet man came out of his room, a bewildered expression on his face.

"What are you hollering about?" He asked.

"Pops wants you." Ace lied, pointing up towards the deck. Soliel had already gone up, and Ace escorted his friend up.

It was dark, the torches having not been lit, and Thatch was confused when he didn't see Whitebeard. "Ace, are you sure he's up-"

"SURPRISE!"

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

The torches went up in flames, and everything was lit up, Haruta and Izo popped the corks off some wine bottles and others cheered loudly, their cries echoing into the night.

Marco and Ace combined their flames to shine a shimmering purple glow on Soliel, who was standing on the makeshift stage with a giant grin. "So, in honor of Thatch being an old man-" (Thatch yelled "Hey!" indignantly, but kept smiling, and pulled Alexei to his side, kissing the woman on the mouth). "I've prepared some music for your listening pleasure." She winked, grabbing the acoustic guitar from Fossa and cleared her throat and strummed her fingers across the strings.

"Na lądzie, gdy rozglądasz się lądując

Chcesz wszystko mieć na własność, nawet głaz

A ja wiem, że ten głaz ma także duszę

Imię ma i zaklęty w sobie czas

Ty myślisz, że są ludźmi tylko ludzie

Których ludźmi nazywać chce twój świat

Lecz jeśli pójdziesz tropem moich braci

Dowiesz się największych prawd, najświętszych prawd

Czy wiesz czemu wilk tak wyje w księżycową noc?

I czemu ryś tak zęby szczerzy rad?

Czy powtórzysz te melodie co z gór płyną?

Barwy, które kolorowy niesie wiatr

Barwy, które kolorowy niesie wiatr..." She let the last chord echo out with her voice before bowing and smiling. She memorized the song from her mother's lullaby, and sang it often, but tonight she sang it because it was also her mother's birthday. Azalea would have been 47 tonight.

There was a mixture of claps and cheers, and Whitebeard smiled at his daughter. She was looking more like her mother now, topping about 5'6", and weighing a lean 120 pounds, her body slim and toned. She often teased Ace about having "better looking abs" than he did, and for a girl, she did. They were faint, but if she tightenedher stomach, you could see the six-pack, and she pride herself on being physically fit and on par with her brothers. He was grateful for her figure, having narrow hips and small breasts (think of Nami from volume one), because nowadays men preferred the bustier type and be didn't want perverts staring at his daughter.

Not that she'd notice. The girl had eyes solely for Marco.

Thatch called out to the girl as people Nagano milling around and getting food. "Sing that song you and Haruta were writing earlier!"

Soliel's face reddened and she gave him a weird look. "I haven't finished it!"

Thatch smirked and gave the girl a knowing look. "Fine." He crosse his arms an sighed dramatically. "Guess you're just too chicken."

Soliel twitched, and Thatch knew he'd won. Soliel didn't like being made a coward, and the girl sent him a glare. "Fine." She straightened and put her fingers to the metallic strings again, slowly shifting herself in time with the rhythm in her head.

"The stars lean down to kiss you,

And I lie awake and miss you.

Pour me a heavy dose of atmosphere.

'Cause I'll doze off safe and soundly,

But I'll miss your arms around me.

I'd send a postcard to you dear,

'Cause I wish you were here.

I'll watch the night turn light blue.

But it's not the same without you,

Because it takes two to whisper quietly,

The silence isn't so bad,

Till I look at my hands and feel sad,

'Cause the spaces between my fingers

Are right where yours fit perfectly.

I'll find repose in new ways,

Though I haven't slept in two days,

'Cause cold nostalgia chills me to the bone.

But drenched in Vanilla twilight,

I'll sit on the front porch all night,

Waist deep in thought because when I think of you.

I don't feel so alone.

I don't feel so alone.

I don't feel so alone.

As many times as I blink I'll think of you... tonight.

I'll think of you tonight."

Haruta and Izo were dancing with one another and Ace was swaying (either from the song or the fact that he'd drank a full bottle of wine by himself), and Alexei was dancing with Thatch, smiling. Whitebeard had his eyes closed, listening to Soliel's harmonious voice with a smirk.

As the next lines came, the woman's champagne colored eyes sought Marco, who was grinning up at her, nodding his head slightly with the music.

" When violet eyes get brighter,

And heavy wings grow lighter,

I'll taste the sky and feel alive again.

And I'll forget the world that I knew,

But I swear I won't forget you,

Oh if my voice could reach back through the past,

I'd whisper in your ear,

Oh darling I wish you were here."

She stopped singing a few seconds later and bowed again before coming down and hugging Thatch.

"Happy birthday, ya jerk." She clapped him on the shoulder and grabbed one of the bottles of labeled "SKYY: Vanilla", and in twisted it, taking a few sips before spinning away with a giggle. "Love you, Nii-san!"

...

Soliel hummed to herself as she rummaged through the icebox in the galley. There was frozen meat, drinks, and a bundle of small, black fruit that Soliel snatched up. She pried one of the baseball-sized Achachairu and bit into it with a crunch.

Within ten minutes she'd eaten four of the ten pieces, and was about to start her fifth when she heard a small chuckle.

"Jesus, Marco!" She gasped, dropping the fruit. She scooped it back up and rinsed it under the sink. "Give me a heart attack why don't you?"

Marco smiled. "You're so dramatic."

"Pshh! Izo's dramatic. I, sir, am awesome." She struck an oratory pose and then grinned. "Just don't tell Ace that I'm cooler than he is."

Marco held his hands up in surrender. "I won't."

Soliel hopped onto a table and motioned for Marco to sit beside her, but the blond just stood there, about a foot away.

"Why aren't you up there celebrating?" She asked, biting into the fruit as then taking a sip of the vanilla vodka.

"For the same reason you aren't. It's too crowded, Ace is drunk, and I have better things to do."

Soliel swallowed the fruit, "Oh yeah? Like what?" Her tone was teasing.

Marco shifted a little, and slowly, gentle as could be, slid his hands over her cheeks and into her hair, touching his mouth to hers for a moment. When she didn't pull away, he did it again, adding pressure, and then ultimately deepening the kiss; tasting the chill of the fruit, the sting of the alchohol, and something was was purely Soliel.

"That."

Soliel's eyes were shimmering in that way they did when she was nervous or excited. "Why did you do that?"

"Because I think I'm in love with you."


	25. Chapter 25

So I had an interesting PM earlier from a reader asking if I planned on making this story (or it's sequel, and yes, I've planned one) rated M. (The reader wants to see sex).

Honestly, I've no idea. I never thought of adding sexual themes to Champagne Supernova. So once again I ask:

What do YOU want? Message or leave a review.

The reason I always ask is because this story is for YOU. I want people to like it, and yeah, I'll make it my own, but I use suggestions from readers.

(Also, I apologize that this chapter is on the small side, but my Forensics final is Monday and I've gotta study like a motherfucker. If I pass, I will officially become a forensic analyst. After 4 1/2 hard years of college, I will graduate on the 15th if I pass. So pray for me, will ya?)

...

Soliel had never really gone through one of the hormone rampages that most teens went through, mostly because she was always surrounded by males she though of as brothers, or because she was weird. She never had the urge to kiss, or touch, or have sex with anyone, because it seemed boring and uninteresting. (Whitebeard was elated by this news, and her older brothers were amused by it all).

But when it came to Marco...

Her pulse went into overtime, her heartbeat nearly doubling in speed. Her mind would race, and butterflies would erupt inside of her stomach until it made her dizzy. And there was this feeling...of something...that she couldn't quite identify.

Their lips met again, a little faster and more desperate this time, Marco pulling the girl against him as one hand tangled in her hair and the other balanced on the counter. Soliel's hands gripped his shirt and a sigh escaped her. When he had kissed her breathless, Marco pulled away from Soleil's mouth. He looked down at the smaller pirate, her lips parted, eyes half-lidded, pupils blown wide, and Marco thought he'd never seen a more beautiful sight. Especially those eyes.

Eyes the color of the inside of a lemon. Eyes that were glazed over and bright. All simmering, blazing want.

"Ooh, naughty, naughty!" Marco and Soliel turned to see Ace, flushed from drinking and grinning like a child in a candy shop.

Soliel was off the counter the moment the raven haired teen started leaving, and Marco heard the loud "thunk" as the girl tackled the fire manipulating pirate to the floor.

"Ace, shut up. Shut. Up. NOW." Even though she had equal standing as all the other crew members, as Whitebeard's blood daughter, she commanded an air of respect, and was pulling that now, her eyes hard. "Don't say a word, or I swear to all that is holy, I will drown you."

Ace laughed and ruffled the girl's ringlets with a smirk. "Oh, c'mon, little sister, I ain't gonna say anything!" Soliel loosened her grip on his neck and stood up.

"Ace, seriously. Don't say anything." Marco warned. "Not...yet, anyway."

Suddenly, popping sounds, almost like gunshots, echoed from outside and the three took off, racing through the ship and onto the deck.

Into the most amazing fireworks show they'd ever seen.

Thatch was laughing as Curiel and Fossa launched the tiny missiles, and Haruta squealed, clapping her hands with joy. Izo was toasting Thatch, and Alexei was dancing with herself, holding a glass of wine. With a grin, Soliel jogged over and began partying with the rest of the crew.

Ace got drunk(er) and started fights with Thatch and Marco (which got him tossed in the ocean twice, and Soliel had to save him). Curiel started a food fight, which ended with everyone covered in cake and various kinds of alcohol.

And Soliel sang another song as everyone went crazy, and the tempo of the beat, and the amount of drink everyone had in their system just added to the happy insanity.

"Right, right, turn off the lights

We're gonna lose our minds tonight

What's the deal, yo?

I love when it's all too much

5 a.m. turn the radio up

Where's the rock 'n roll?

Party crasher, penny snatcher

Call me up if you're a gangsta

Don't be fancy, just get dancy

Why so serious?

So raise your glass if you are wrong

In all the right ways, all my underdogs

We will never be, never be anything but loud

And nitty gritty, dirty little freaks

Won't you come on and come on and

Raise your glass!

Just come on and come on and

Raise your glass!

Slam, slam, oh hot damn

What part of a party don't you understand?

Wish you'd just freak out

(Freak out already)

Can't stop, coming in hot

I should be locked up right on the spot

It's so on right now

(Ace: It's so fucking on right now)

Party crasher, penny snatcher

Call me up if you're a gangsta

Don't be fancy, just get dancy

Why so serious?

So raise your glass if you are wrong

In all the right ways, all my underdogs

We will never be, never be anything but loud

And nitty gritty, dirty little freaks

Won't you come on and come on and

Raise your glass!

Just come on and come on and

Raise your glass!

Won't you come on and come on and

Raise your glass!

Just come on and come on and

Raise your glass!

Oh shit, my glass is empty!

That sucks!

So if you're too school for cool

And you're treated like a fool

(You're treated like a fool)

You can choose to let it go

We can always, we can always party on our own

So raise your (oh, fuck)

So raise your glass if you are wrong

In all the right ways, all my underdogs

We will never be, never be anything but loud

And nitty gritty, dirty little freaks

So raise your glass if you are wrong

In all the right ways, all my underdogs

We will never be, never be anything but loud

And nitty gritty, dirty little freaks

Won't you come on and come on and

Raise your glass!

Just come on and come on and

Raise your glass!

Won't you come on and come on and

Raise your glass for me!

Just come on and come on and

Raise your glass for me!"

The festivities went on for hours, until people started falling asleep, or just became too exhausted to do anything anymore. Vista was leaning against a wall, a half empty bottle of scotch in his hands, Ace was sprawled out on the deckX snoring loud enough to wake the dead, and others had moved to different parts of the ship to rest.

...

_It was nearing dawn when it happened. The piercing shriek of grief split the air as sure as if it were a solid, and within moments, the crew was up and running around, following the cries which ended in a piercing wail: "Noooooooo!" _

_As Soliel, Ace and Whitebeard exited the ship, there was a collective gasp, and Soliel's hands flew to er mouth, turning away and crying. Ace was stunned, mouth hanging open in absolute horror. _

_Alexei was sobbing uncontrollably, and Fossa grabbed the woman, hauling her away from the scene. _

_"Oops, I didn't mean for you to see." Blackbeard stood up, a twisted smirk on his face. "Ze ha ha ha ha ha!" _

_The figure was lying on its stomach, blood pooling from the stabs wounds on its body. _

_Thatch was dead. _

...

Soliel woke up screaming.

...

Whitebeard's eyes shot open and he looked around as his daughter's voice met his ears. With a powerful surge he was up, stomping down the hall and into the galley, where Soliel had fallen asleep.

...

At first, Marco didn't understand what was happening until he heard feet pounding out of the over the deck. He and Ace had fallen asleep outside, and he looked up as Vista ran by.

"Wuzz'appenin'?" Ace murmured.

"Something's wrong with Soliel." Vista answered, and Marco was up instantly, following the older man. Ace stumbled a little but he was up, fully alert.

As they got into the ship, they saw Haruta walking back towards her room.

"What happened?" Vista asked.

Haruta rubbed her eyes and yawned. "Soliel had a nightmare, and she's worked herself into a tizzy." As soon as she stopped talking, Soleil appeared, wiping her tear-stained face and sighing.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to wake you all." she gave Ace and Vista a weak smile, and then looked up at her father.

"Daddy-"

"I'll deal with it. This isn't the first time it's happened, and if it scares you that much, then I'll keep an eye out in case something...strange happens." He touched the girls' head and gave it an affectionate ruffle. "It's just a dream, pup. Don't worrytoo much."

Everyone started to leave, and Marco gave Soleil a questioning look. "Are you alright?"

Soliel shrugged. "I'm not sure, to be honest." She walked up to him and explained what had happened, and Marco, like Whitebeard, expressed mild concern.

"Let's just hope it's a nightmare and you aren't secretly precognitive."

Soliel have Marco a sly smile. "That would be kind of cool, actually."

Marco rolled his eyes. "You don't need an ego boost by being able to see the future."

Soliel stood on her toes and pressed a kiss against his mouth. "But it would be fun, though."

As they left, no one had noticed that Izo was sitting at a table, watching and listening to everything, with a giant Cheshire Cat grin on his face.


	26. Chapter 26

AISH! I'm so sorry for the late update, but here ya go! Enjoy! X3

I had a cute request from a reader, and wanna know how y'all would feel: should Marco take Soliel flying?  
...

Thatch yawned widely, and looked around the room. Remnants of the night's festivities were everywhere; cake smeared on the wall and floor, opened wine and alcohol containers, weapons and clothes strewn haphazardly on tables. The tawny haired man rubbed his eyes and sat up from his spot on the floor, Alexei curled beside him. It was just barely dawn, the farthest edge of the horizon a dusky reddish-brown. Starts glittered in the sky, but the lovely image was quickly being covered by clouds.

Ace was passed out at the table, arms limp and face down, a forkful of cake in one hand. Kingdew may have made his way to his room, because Thatch couldn't locate the other man. Haruta was curled on her side, a half consumed bottle of raspberry vodka against her chest like a child with a doll.

He carefully picked up Alexei and began walking to his own room when he caught sight of Fossa was snoring like a bear on one of the benches against the wall of the main hallway leading from the deck to the interior of the kitchen.

He turned to the left and passed Izo's room, where the man hasn't even made it to his bed and instead lay on the floor, kimono and hair in disarray. Thatch chuckled.

In the next room, Stefan was laying on his back, growling, one of his legs kicking. Brew was collapsed on the floor, and Rakuyo was in his bed, snoring.

The rest of the hall was empty, and he found Jozu and Curiel outside, seeming as though they'd been trying to clean, but had gotten too tired and gave up.

He laughed when his eyes fell on Marco and Soliel (he assumed that Pops was in his own room; and Teech was nowhere to be found).

Marco was flat on his back like he'd been slammed down, and Soleil was in a sitting position like he'd been too lazy to get up and they'd fallen asleep talking. They were holding hands (either intentionally or because they had continued their 'mercy' game from earlier).

Thatch smiled. Everyone was so cute when they were asleep.

...

The sun was melting away behind the thickening clouds and Marco watched as Ace stalked down the hallway, eyes murderous. Heat was flickering off of him, small ribbons of flame licking over skin and muscle as he stormed into the kitchen. Everyone had just started waking up, Fossa and Kingdew were playing with Stefan, the dog that Thatch had acquired a few years back, while Izo and Haruta chatted animatedly with Brew, who had come along with a large load of weapons he wanted to show Whitebeard. Soliel was sitting on a counter, debating between an apple and an orange that Teech had been holding, and Marco was just sitting at a table.

"What's up with you?" Soliel voiced the question everyone was thinking and Ace glared at the wall. In his hand was a crumpled newspaper, and Jozu pried it away from the raven haired man.

The front page mentioned some military nonsense, like new recruits and people being promoted, but there were also pictures of pirates. Wanted posters, dossiers, and just general information on threats. Soliel narrowed her eyes and took the newspaper from the other pirate, scanning the words quickly. Her face went from annoyed, to confused, to horrified in about two seconds, and Kingdew leaned over to read the article.

"It says that the Navy is rounding up anyone with information on the current whereabouts of Monkey D. Luffy. Why just him, why not his whole crew?"

Ace looked at him. "Keep reading."

Soliel spoke aloud, "The atrocities committed against humanity by pirates have become significantly worse in the past few years, with a fresh, younger, stronger generation coming out of the shadows. The Lizza crew who destroyed the Spirit Tower in Corral, the Strawhat pirates (responsible for various crimes), and the new additions to the Whitebeard cre-" Soliel gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.

"What?" Izo's voice was alarmed. Haruta and the other gathered closer to take a look at the newspaper, and the collective gasp made even Whitebeard curious.

The centerfold was a picture of Ace, Marco and Soliel, walking through one of the villages they recently visited to restock on supplies. Whitebeard was in the background, while the trio grinned widely. Underneath read the caption: "The Children of Whitebeard: Fact or Fiction?" There were a few mentions of the adopted crew members, but also the odd resemblance between a few members, as though they could actually be siblings or be Whitebeard's biological children.

Soliel's face went white. They were figuring it out...if it finally came to light that Whitebeard had a child of blood, that would be almost as shocking as Ace being Gol D. Rogers's son! (Not that she knew about that or anything, noooo.)

"Dad-" Whitebeard frowned severely.

"They're going to figure it out one day, pup." He looked at his crew, his kids, his family. "We can't keep it hidden forever, but we're damn sure going to try."

...

Soliel was staring off into space, golden eyes blank and unseeing. A little hum would rise from her throat every now and then, and her lips would twitch as though she were talking, but other than that, there was indication the woman was paying any attention to anything at all. Thatch both was amused and concerned, the girl having been sitting on the edge of the Moby Dick for nearly four hours. Normally that wouldn't bother anyone, but nearly half an hour ago a torrential downpour had started and the copper-haired 22-year-old was soaked to the bone; her clothes clinging to her body like a second skin.

She hadn't moved a muscle.

"It's like she doesn't know it's raining." Izo said, arms crossed over his chest in concern. "She's going to catch her death out there!" Whitebeard stared at his daughter, mind wandering. She'd had another weird dream last night; voices, along with some fuzzy, vague images, and Soliel kept going over the conversations with herself.

Ace was amused. "I'm just waiting for her to fall overboard."

"We'll throw you down there to save her." Fossa chuckled.

"Pssh! I've got reflexes, my friend. I'm a flame throwing, ninja-pirate." He struck a kung-fu pose and the crew laughed.

"Oh look, she moved." Izo said, and Marco looked over to she Soliel standing on the railing, arms crossed and brow furrowed. She walked along the edge for a second before hopping down and walking over to them.

"Feel better, pup?" Whitebeard asked. Soliel smiled and threw her arms around her father's leg.

"I'm fine, Daddy." She murmured. The man accepted the response, but he noticed at once that Soliel was crying, even though the rain just made her appear as though she hadn't been.

Giving his crew a significant look that read 'leave us', he ushered his daughter down to the kitchen.

"Alright, pup," he said, standing in front of her. "What's wrong."

In the blink of an eye, it happened; tears filled Soliel's eyes and fell, her voice cracking pitifully. "I can't stop the dreams! A-a-nd it not what's in t-them, it's who!"

Whitebeard's eyebrows crashed down. "What's happening in these dreams?"

Soliel wiped her eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath. "N-nothing! They're dreams, not nightmares, but I keep seeing-"

"Soliel, calm down." Whitebeard touched his daughter's face, his tone low and commanding. "Who are you seeing?"

Soliel lifted her sunshine eyes to her father. She was quiet, breathing evenly and shaking with the effort of trying not to cry. After a few moments she finally said: "I keep seeing Mom."


End file.
